


Infatuation

by BunnyBob



Series: Trying to Tie Loose Ends (Catharsis Continuation) [5]
Category: Coma Baby - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, sidlink - Fandom
Genre: Death, M/M, Multi, Sexual Assault, more shit no one asked for but i put too much thought into
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-08 05:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14098128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBob/pseuds/BunnyBob
Summary: The Zora nobleman Leuqas has always led a rather easy life. He is the son of two wealthy high class Zora, belonging to possibly one of the most powerful families in the Zora Domain. Leuqas is rather handsome by Zora standards, and finds himself admired by many, charming everyone he meets and winning them over within the first few minutes of meeting them. Spoiled by his disgustingly rich parents and popular amongst most Zoras, Leuqas always ends up getting what he wants be it rupees, jewelry, mates, or anything under the sun.So imagine his surprise when there is one thing that keeps managing to elude his grasp: the love and affection from Prince Sidon’s personal knight, Brivere.Leuqas is willing to do anything to get what he desires.(An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline)





	1. From The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Coma Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493943) by [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/pseuds/BanishedOne). 



> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao
> 
> (More about this strange series is explained in the end notes)

Admittedly, Leuqas didn't always have the best impression of the Oracle Knight.

He knew of the controversy that surrounded the golden Zora and his younger brother. And while Leuqas didn't personally join in on the mockery of Brivere's family, he was definitely guilty of ignoring and thinking ill of them despite never actually meeting one of the two cursed brothers. However, this really just made him like everyone else in the Zora Domain, so he definitely didn’t _feel_ guilty for doing so either.

When Brivere became the Knight Captain, Leuqas was impressed, but that was just because it was a miracle that someone of such low stature was able to worm their way into one of the highest positions in the Zora Domain. However, he _still_ didn’t see the golden Zora for the first time until roughly three weeks later. Brivere just happened to be by Prince Sidon’s side while Leuqas was with his parents, who had business with the prince. The Knight Captain was briefly introduced by Prince Sidon, and while Leuqas politely smiled he quickly forgot about the forgettable golden Zora within the next few minutes, as Brivere didn’t talk for the rest of the meeting.

Not like Leuqas did either, but there was no need for him to actually speak while his parents and Prince Sidon were discussing political matters. While Leuqas was a high class nobleman, he didn't have an official position or job yet. It didn't matter anyways. He could easily live off of how disgustingly rich his parents were, and the two of them spoiled their son so much that they probably wouldn't mind doing so for the rest of their lives. They had already put him down as the sole person on their will, meaning that he would inherit every last drop of their wealth should they pass away sooner than expected.

While he was definitely no Prince Sidon, Leuqas was very handsome by Zora standards, with a rugged face and shining orange scales similar to a sunset. He was taller than most males of his race and was even muscular like any other soldier, despite using his status to avoid joining the Zora army. While he didn't have a fan club like Prince Sidon, he certainly had many admirers, especially from the upper class. So if living off of his parents didn't work he could easily just marry some rich, elite Zora and have them take care of him for the rest of his life.

Although Leuqas still flirted with and dated his many devotees, it was never with the intention to actually wed any of them. It was mostly out of boredom and to get drunk off of their praise and admiration. Following around his high class parents for appearances sake was already a good enough living for him, but it didn’t hurt to have some fun on the side.

And so, because of Brivere's new position, Leuqas and the Knight Captain would see each other more often. They never had a single word of conversation, however. Both were just complete strangers who happened to be occasionally in the same room. Leuqas would still inwardly sneer at the golden knight, as if to remind himself that Brivere didn't belong there because of his convoluted parentage. It didn't help that the Knight Captain's serious nature and indifferent mask made him seem a bit stuck up.

Neither had an impact on each other's lives, neither said a single word to the other, neither would even have to see one another unless absolutely necessary for their statuses and positions. Neither even _thought_ about the other Zora unless they physically saw them, and even then it would only be for a fleeting moment, thinking along the lines of _"Oh, it's him."_ before moving on. This went on for nearly half a century, a graceless dance that neither Zora knew that they were participating in, moving to a barely audible tune.

And it could have easily continued to be that way for the rest of their lives. Leuqas wouldn't have even had to think about his past with the golden Zora if it weren't for Brivere's knighting ceremony.

The day that changed everything, for better or for worse. Either way, Leuqas could never forget it, even if he wanted to.

Forced to come because of his parents’ duties to the king, Leuqas was slumped in a chair seated in a nearby balcony with a perfect view of the walkway that stretched across the middle of the pavilion. He was bored out of his mind, having tuned out his parents’ small talk with the other nobles also sitting in the balcony with them.

And then Brivere came out.

Leuqas gawked at the shining golden Zora as he gracefully strode down the walkway, completely covered in silver adornments that highlighted his good features and a shimmering, blue cape that flowed behind him. Brivere was nothing short of breathtaking, and quite literally so, as Leuqas had to remind himself to actually breathe while he continued to stare at the golden knight.

But all of the air was quickly taken out of Leuqas' lungs again when the soon-to-be Oracle Knight tilted his head up and gently smiled at him. Well, not him specifically, as Brivere was just glancing around everywhere to be polite to the crowd that was watching him. However, Leuqas desperately wanted to delude himself into thinking that the split second of a rare, soft smile was just for _him_.

He felt his heart drop when Brivere walked past him, and the orange Zora even shot out of his chair and leaned over the balcony, continuing to eye the golden knight until Brivere knelt in front of the king.

Leuqas' father patted him on the back while he continued to practically hanging off of the balcony. "I can understand why you're so shocked!" the old Zora laughed. "Just make sure you don't fall over, son!"

The words didn't register in the orange Zora's mind. He didn't even hear King Dorephan's booming voice nor the Prince's speech that followed. Leuqas was completely focused on the golden knight, drinking in every drop of beauty that he had to offer. The nobleman only snapped out of his stupor when the crowd burst into thunderous applause, cheering as Prince Sidon raised Brivere's arm up and announced him as the official Oracle Knight.

"I'm going to go around the festival!" Leuqas quickly said to his parents, darting away before either could even nod in approval. He flew down the stairs leading down from the balcony, desperately wanting to meet the Oracle Knight.

By the time he got to the pavilion, the crowd had already spread out, forcing him to aggressively shoulder past citizens in search of Brivere. When he made his way to the end of the walkway, where the knighting ceremony had occurred, Leuqas was disappointed to find that the Oracle Knight had already left. He tried to casually roam the streets of the Domain, pretending to eye the festivities and games when he was actually looking for the golden Zora. As he searched the Domain, Leuqas was trying not to lose his composure, despite his heart getting heavier and more disappointed with each empty minute that passed.

And finally, Leuqas found him.

It would be impossible to miss that flicker of silver and gold that flashed in the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, Leuqas felt is heart soar when he found that it truly was Brivere, who still looked as stunning as he did during the knighting ceremony.

The golden knight was fondly observing a young Zora who was playing a bow and arrow game in hopes of a prize, completely hitting all of the targets with impossible accuracy, considering that he was missing part of his right arm. Leuqas remembered that the small Zora was... Estuary? A stew? Something like that. Whatever his name, Leuqas at least knew that he was the younger brother and personal knight of Brivere.

Behind the Oracle Knight was Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion, both of them carrying some of Brivere’s long blue cape in their arms, unable to properly hold onto all of it. It wasn't a surprise that the two were hovering around the golden Zora, since it was well known that the three of them were extremely close friends, all of them also protective of Estuu.

Leuqas smirked to himself. It was quite convenient that the three most important people to Brivere were all gathered in the same place. This would make the first impression even easier, as he would woo over not only Brivere, but also gain the approval of his loved ones at the same time.

Confidently, Leuqas strode over to the golden Zora, chiseled chin held high and broad chest puffed out. "Hello, Oracle Knight." he said in a deep voice paired with a sly smile, cranking up his charm like he did with his admirers.

Brivere, completely unaffected, turned to him and politely bowed. "Hello, Nobleman Leuqas." he replied.

The orange Zora grinned wider, silently ecstatic that Brivere remembered his name. "Please, you may just call me Leuqas. After all, you are the Oracle Knight now."

Prince Sidon's and the Hylian Champion's eyes suddenly hardened as they glared him down, making the nobleman flinch. But his fear immediately disappeared when Brivere spoke up. "I apologize, but I must decline the offer for such casual title drops." he said in a firm voice. "Although I am now officially the Oracle Knight, I do not desire to stop my formality with others out of respect."

Feeling bold, Leuqas reached out to grab the golden Zora's hand, which had several silver rings on each finger. "I must say, that is quite admirable." the orange Zora purred, raising Brivere's hand to his lips. "Just as admirable and stunning as you looked during today's ceremony."

Before he could plant a kiss on the golden Knight's knuckles, Prince Sidon harshly yanked Brivere away from his grasp. "I am afraid that we are late for another event that the Holy Knight was looking forward to." the prince said in a cold, steely voice. Estuu tilted his head in confusion, but Link gestured for him to play along.

Brivere looked away from Leuqas to focus on his younger brother. "Oh, is that so?" the golden Zora asked. "You should have told us, Holy Knight, I would hate to make you miss another game."

Hesitantly, the younger Zora nodded, and Prince Sidon led their small group away with a disgruntled look on his face. Leuqas opened his mouth, wanting to call out and ask if they could meet again later, but the deadly glare from the Hylian Champion's icy blue eyes trapped the words in his throat. Standing there in a mix of confusion and frustration, he hopelessly watched Brivere disappear around the corner and out of sight.

As he got over his shock, anger began to boil in his chest. What in the name of Hylia was that? Why did the Prince and the Hylian Champion get so defensive? Even if they were close friends, there was no excuse for such blatant interference.

It was nothing but pure mockery.

If it were anyone else, Leuqas would have told them off and stolen Brivere away, taking him somewhere far away from everyone else. However, even the spoiled Zora knew his place. There was no way he could go up against the Hylian Champion, let alone the Prince. Both of them had much higher statuses than him. Besides, he had no military training, and one of them was the leader of a whole section of the Zora army while the other defeated the fucking _Calamity_ single handedly.

But determination flared in Leuqas’ chest, making him walk back home with confidence bouncing in every step. This small defeat was only for today.

There was still tomorrow, and then all the time in the world after that.


	2. From Now On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Leuqas had become quickly infatuated with the Oracle Knight at his knighting ceremony, the nobleman is desperate to get another chance to pursue Brivere since his first attempt was inexplicably ruined by Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion. However, the spoiled Zora quickly finds out that Brivere is harder to win over than he expected, as his usual charm and charisma seems to not impact the emotionless knight. 
> 
> It’d also help if he could just find the damn Zora in the first place.
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus series was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao

"Do you think you'll see him today?!" Odonta asked, excitedly looking around the palace halls.

Leuqas frowned at his friend. "Keep it down, idiot." he hissed. "I do plan on finding the Oracle Knight, but don't make me regret telling you about my affection for him."

She nodded back, making a zipper motion across her lips. This was rendered useless, since loud hums vibrated in her chest as she whipped her head around in search of the golden Zora.

Odonta was a friend of Leuqas's, and could arguably be counted as the closest friend he had, although he wasn't quite sure why. She wasn't an admirer of his and had a lower status as a scholar. It wasn't even that they were childhood friends or had known each other for a long time; in fact, she previously had the same influence on Leuqas's life that Brivere used to have, which was practically nothing. And perhaps even less than that, since the two had barely seen each other in the past and couldn't recall a time that they actually did.

They only started to talk roughly over a year ago, and even those circumstances were pure coincidence at best. She had just been disqualified from the Holy Knight trials and was sobbing her eyes out in the infirmary. It was uncertain if this was from the pain of the arrow in her thigh or the shame from being the first one to be dismissed. Leuqas had just been passing by when she was starting to calm down, and they had some polite small talk, since he had been in the arena and witnessed everything.

Surprisingly, she wasn't mad at Estuu, who winded up winning the trials in the end. Rather, she was impressed by the young Zora and admired his many talents. This is where Leuqas remembered Brivere, thinking _"Oh, that guy."_ for a split second before continuing his conversation with Odanta. From that day on, they found themselves randomly meeting, their conversations growing deeper and more comfortably casual until they suddenly found themselves as best friends.

"Oh!" she yelped, tugging on his arm with one hand and pointing across the palace halls with the other. "I think that’s him!"

Leuqas whipped his head around to see golden scales shining in the hall across from them, with pillars and the palace's inner garden separating the golden Zora and the nobleman from each other.

"And he's alone." Leuqas muttered to himself as he quickly walked over to Brivere, fast enough to obviously show that he was in a hurry but slow enough to keep his dignity. Odanta cheered and stayed put, wanting to give her friend space to work his magic. When he rounded the corner, the nobleman straightened up and put his signature smirk on. However, when the Holy Knight suddenly darted out of the room near the Oracle Knight, Leuqas's confidence deflated.

The younger Zora scurried over to Brivere with a stack of books held tightly in Estuu's one complete arm while his stumped one kept the books steady, which the golden knight took more than half of with a thankful nod before the two brothers turned to walk away. The nobleman's stride faltered, uncertain if he should still try to flirt with his love interest since Brivere’s little brother was there. However, he sped up instead, remembering that Estuu hadn't appeared to be involved in the sabotage during the festival.

"Oracle Knight!" he called out, trying to keep his velvety voice steady when his heart soared as Brivere turned around with his brow raised.

The golden knight politely bowed, but not deep enough to tip over the stack of books in his arms. "Hello, Nobleman Leuqas." he said as Estuu repeated the gesture.

Leuqas stopped right in front of him, chest practically touching the golden Knight's arms, knowing from personal experience that close contact was the best way to win someone over. However, he didn’t notice that Brivere was uncomfortable with the sudden invasion of personal space, and the golden knight had to slightly crane his neck up to look into the nobleman's shining eyes.

"It is quite a coincidence running into you here!" Leuqas heartily laughed. "I was actually hoping to spend more time with you since your knighting ceremony."

The golden knight raised his brow. "Excuse my rudeness, Nobleman Leuqas, but may I ask why?"

Leuqas's smile faltered. "I beg your pardon?"

"I apologize," Brivere began, "But we have never actually spoken before. Now, all of the sudden, you wish to be with me more often? You must understand why I am so hesitant towards your friendliness."

Holding his large hands up in defense, the nobleman shook his head. "No need to apologize, Oracle Knight. Why don't I explain myself while we walk to wherever you were heading towards? I would hate to keep you from your duties."

Brivere hesitantly nodded, and the brothers both turned around and began to walk away. Leuqas strode next to the golden knight and reached over, taking the stack of books out of his arms. "Nobleman Leuqas," Brivere exclaimed, "You really don’t-!"

"Nonsense!" Leuqas chuckled, trying not to show how much he was struggling to hold onto the heavy pile of books. "I would be honored to help lighten your load."

Estuu looked at the nobleman from the corner of his eye, a clear pout on his face. Not wanting to get on his crush's bad side, Leuqas also grabbed the books in the young Zora's arms (well, an arm and a stump), who seemed pleased by the way his small head tail wagged. The three of them walked in awkward silence as the nobleman tried to formulate the best answer to Brivere's question.

While Leuqas was certainly confident that he could win Brivere over with his good looks, charm, and family status, he didn't want to scare the golden knight away by suddenly coming on to him. Although Brivere had slightly eased up to the nobleman, he still seemed as stern and stoic as ever. And to be honest, Leuqas had no idea what to do, since he was used to people pursuing _him_ , not the other way around.

"So," Leuqas said, finally breaking the silence, "You wish to know why I desire to spend more time with you?"

Brivere nodded. "If you would be so kind."

Humming, the nobleman shifted around the stack of books in his arms. "To be honest, I have always wanted to talk to you." he lied, smoothly playing off his past lack of interest. "However, you always seemed extremely focused on work, and admittedly it was a bit intimidating."

The golden knight's lips pursed. "So I have been told."

"I apologize, please do not take it as an insult!” Leuqas laughed. “Really, I admired you for it, so much so that I felt that I should not interact with you, in fear of looking like a fool."

When Brivere noticeably relaxed and the corner of his soft lips twitched up for a split second, the nobleman smirked to himself. The knight had taken the bait. "However, when you were at the ceremony, you seemed much happier. You even smiled at me."

"Did I?" The golden knight asked. "I apologize, I do not quite remember. I was merely smiling for everyone at the suggestion of my prince."

Leuqas's eye twitched, both at the mention of the nosy Prince Sidon and the reminder that Brivere's smile wasn't for him, specifically. "Yes, you did." he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "And it stole my heart. It gave me the confidence to speak to you that day, and continues to push me to speak to you now with the desire for more."

"If I was aware that such a small gesture would earn me a friend, perhaps I would have done so sooner." Brivere tittered, not catching on to the obvious flirtatious tone of Leuqas’ words. The nobleman opened his mouth, wanting to clear up the confusion, but the words were immediately caught in his throat as a large shadow loomed over him.

Prince Sidon grunted. "Oracle Knight, Holy Knight, I see you have found the books I have requested." he said, arms crossed. Fear and anger battled inside of Leuqas's chest, wanting to yell at the prince for interfering again but knowing very well that he couldn't. The cold look in Prince Sidon's eyes just confirmed this, keeping the nobleman anchored into the ground.

"Yes, my lord." Brivere replied, bowing along with Estuu. "Nobleman Leuqas was just helping us carry them."

"If the load was too much, you could have asked for assistance." the Prince Sidon said, trying to keep himself from blatantly calling out Leuqas.

Brivere shook his head. "No, my Lord, I could have easily carried them on my own. Nobleman Leuqas was the one who insisted on helping me."

"Is that so." Prince Sidon said in an unsettlingly calm voice, his tongue sharply enunciating each word. He turned to Leuqas, hostility burning in his usually soft eyes. "Thank you, Nobleman. I do apologize, but I must ask you to leave now, as I have official business to take care of with my knights."

Numbly nodding, Leuqas moved to hand the books over to Brivere. But before the golden Knight could reach out and take them, Prince Sidon snatched them out of the nobleman’s arms, showing off how large and muscular he was. "Oracle Knight, Holy Knight, we must be quickly taking our leave now." the prince said curtly, turning to walk away. The brothers nodded, but Brivere quickly thanked Leuqas before following his Prince.

The nobleman stood there, happiness and frustration bubbling inside of him. While he was furious to have been so rudely interrupted, Leuqas was still pleased to see that his relationship with Brivere had improved. That adorable word of thanks before they separated made the whole ordeal worth it.

And with that, he turned around, walking over to reunite with Odonta and tell her what had happened. Leuqas was lucky that his friend was a wise scholar, because he would definitely need her advice from now on.

;

For the next couple of days, Leuqas continued his attempts to win Brivere over.

It wasn't easy in the slightest. Even before the knighting ceremony, the two had rarely met, and now even less so since Brivere had more duties as Oracle Knight. The only thing that helped Leuqas was his lack of position or job, yet still maintaining a high status, giving him full access to the palace without having to actually do anything.

But other than that slight advantage, everything was stacked against him, as if Hylia herself was trying to keep him from getting what he wanted. And he was so pissed off at the thought of it that he seriously considered fighting the goddess, if that was even possible.

For one thing, the palace was enormous. It was impossible to scour the whole place for a single Zora without asking around for help, usually resulting in outdated or confusing information. And Leuqas asked around so much that his intentions became well known, which people teased him about. But no one could really blame him for it.

After all, he wasn't the only one trying to make the emotionless Zora fall in love.

Apparently, several dozen Zora were also smitten with the Oracle Knight after the ceremony. Odonta had told him that she heard that Brivere was never alone now, as admirers came from either the palace, the outside city, or even the Undercity, all meeting with the Oracle Knight with the sole purpose of hitting on him. And apparently Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion were pissed at this for some unclear reason, glaring at all of the suitors and coming up with ways to send them off.

So not only was Brivere being guarded by his two best friends all the time, but Leuqas now had to compete against nearly several dozen other Zora, all while trying to even _find_ the Oracle Knight in the first place.

It became a well-known joke that the Oracle Knight was so emotionless that he couldn't even sense the obvious flirtation from others. No one had been able to win him over yet, or rather, it was unclear if anyone actually _did_. Brivere's infamous indifferent mask made it impossible to tell if he was actually swayed by or even aware of anyone's fruitless attempts at romance.

Luckily for Leuqas, the number of potential suitors eventually decreased. The other Zora began to realize that their initial infatuation with the Oracle Knight was mainly just because of how stunning he looked during his knighting ceremony, along with the appeal of his higher status.

However, it wasn’t as if the nobleman was better than the rest of them. If anything, he was secretly worse. Everyone else had backed off after they figured out why they had even fell for the golden knight in the first place, but it only made Leuqas push harder. Even _he_ knew that his crush on Brivere was only because of how breath taking the Oracle Knight looked during his knighting ceremony.

Other than that, there wasn’t much going for the golden Zora, who went back to wearing his usual knight armor, which was similar to all of the other soldiers. The only thing that made Brivere actually stand out was that he still wore his father’s choker, but it was clearly more out of memory rather than status. His indifferent mask and frank way of speaking was also infuriating to the nobleman, who found it difficult to hold decent small talk in the rare moments that the two actually crossed paths.

But Leuqas continued to try and woo the golden knight, even as he became the only one trying to openly do so. At that point, it was a matter of pride. He wanted to be the one to break Brivere’s emotionless mask and succeed where everyone else had failed. The spoiled Zora was also absolutely furious that the golden knight was oblivious to his charms, not completely obsessed with him like so many other Zora.

Leuqas always got what he wanted. And from now on, Brivere would be no different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i mean i fuckin got lost in the palace just playing the damn game so i find this to be realistic  
> also almost finished writing the ending for this whole thing  
> and the first chapters are short, but the following end up getting a lot longer  
> so.  
> yeah


	3. From This Point Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to his policies and beliefs on class equality, Prince Sidon has become less and less popular to the upper class Zora, who desperately want to hold onto their dwindling power and wealth over the Undercity dwellers. Leuqas plans to use this hostility towards the prince to his advantage, gaining a better way to conquer Brivere’s love.
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao

Leuqas quietly descended down the long stairs in his large home, trying not to wake up any servants. His parents had requested that he join them in their study at midnight without anyone else noticing, but didn’t explain exactly why. Whatever the reason, it was quite obvious that it was urgent.

Walking through the entryway, the nobleman was slightly startled to see the study room filled with other upper class Zora, ranging from respected knights to council members. Leuqas quickly noticed that he was the youngest one there, as all of the other Zora were older government workers who have held their positions for nearly a century.

His father nodded at him, gesturing for Leuqas to sit in an open chair next to the older Zora. “My son, please sit here.”

Obliging, Leuqas walked over to the chair, trying to figure out what was going on but coming up with no reasonable answers. Once he was comfortably sitting, his father spoke up again, addressing all of the other elite Zora in the room. “I would like to thank all of you for coming tonight.” the old Zora announced. “Before we begin, everyone here must swear to not say a word of what is said here tonight.”

Everyone else nodded and said “You have my word.” in unison, as if they had said that exact phrase many times before. Leuqas quickly noticed that many of the other Zora in the room were warily eyeing him as they said this.

“Sir Hinus,” another nobleman said nervously, standing up. “With all due respect, I do not see why it is necessary for your son to be here. This could be a security risk.”

His father’s face contorted in anger that was barely held back behind gritted, sharp teeth. “Are you implying that my son is untrustworthy?”

The Zora who spoke up quickly shook his head, sitting back down sheepishly. Sir Hinus continued, glaring the audacious nobleman down. “ _I_ am the one in charge of this revolution. And as such, I will have my son here if I so desire. Besides, he is here because I intend for him to join us.”

Leuqas cleared his throat and caught his father’s attention. “Father, I do apologize, but may you explain what is happening already?”

Golden eyes going soft, Sir Hinus turned to his son. “Of course, my child.” he said, gently smiling at Leuqas. “Quite simply, everyone in this room has joined together with the intention of overthrowing the royal family.”

The orange Zora’s jaw dropped open as he gawked at his father and then everyone else in the study. His father defensively held up his hands. “I know that this is a lot to take in, and I apologize for keeping this from you for some time. However, I had to make sure that you agreed with our thought process first.”

Numbly nodding, Leuqas gestured for his father to continue. “As you know, the royal family has become weak for quite a while now.” Sir Hinus said, carefully observing his son’s reaction. “It has only gotten worse with the birth of Prince Sidon, who has been trying to take away our power to benefit those worthless Undercity Zora. He even has one of them as his personal knight, for Hylia’s sake!”

The old Zora gripped a hand onto Leuqas’ shoulder, forcing him to hold intense eye contact with his father. “King Dorephan is old and will most likely die soon. He has been the only thing keeping his son from ruining our lives, and when Prince Sidon inevitably takes the throne after the king passes away, he will become a worse threat to our livelihood and success.”

“Son.” Sir Hinus said carefully. “I need you to promise that you will keep everything about these meetings a secret, whether or not you actually join. And if you do agree with us, then you are also agreeing to the possibility of having to kill the prince and his knights, along with anyone else who may oppose us.”

To everyone’s shock, Leuqas easily nodded. “I promise. And I agree with your ideologies, as I have thought the same for quite a while now.” he said simply. “However, I do have one point of contention.”

Sir Hinus nodded, pleased with his son’s mostly effortless cooperation. “Yes, my son?”

“I disagree with having to kill the Oracle Knight.”

Everyone scoffed and the room broke out into waves of murmurs and irritated head shakes. His father frowned. “Son, although I am aware of and support your affection for the Oracle Knight, I am afraid that love alone will not excuse him from our plans.”

Leuqas rolled his golden eyes. “While I do intend to win over the Oracle Knight, my own feelings are not the only reason I think that it is best that we do not kill him.”

“And what is your other reason?” one of the other Zora in the room piped up.

Sighing, the orange nobleman stood up, staring down everyone in the room with unamused eyes. “For all of you so-called wise upperclassmen, you lot sure are quite ignorant.” He smirked at the growls that quietly rumbled in their chests. “I find it to be quite obvious. The Oracle Knight is blessed by the goddess Hylia herself with the ability to see the future. Such a power would be extremely helpful to our cause.”

Another Zora, who Leuqas vaguely remembered as a palace servant, angrily shook his head. “While that is true, it is not as if the Oracle Knight would be willing to lend his assistance to us!” he cried. “I have witnessed him use his ability multiple times. There is no way to force him into using his power, as he must use it of his own free will.”

“Did I ever say anything about using force?” Leuqas scoffed. “As you all know, I intend to win over the Oracle Knight romantically. When we court, I could easily get him to see our side of things, especially considering his past.”

A light blue Zora in the corner of the room spoke up. “I agree. I was there when he first tried on Prion’s choker, and he came back later and had snapped at King Dorephan. It is clear that he holds some deep seeded hatred for the king and the royal line altogether.”

“Then clearly you haven’t been paying attention!” a council member exclaimed. “I was there to help give him the new position of Oracle Knight! It is obvious that he has extreme loyalty towards the royal family, going as far as to pledge his bloodline to serve them from that point on.”

Leuqas shook his head. “While that may be true, I am certain that I can convince him otherwise.”

“We cannot base our plans solely on your feelings alone.” another high class Zora scoffed. “What makes you so confident in your own charms?”

At this, Sir Hinus spoke up, not wanting to miss an opportunity to brag about his son. “Leuqas has had many admirers,” he said smugly. “They continue to come to our household, begging for a chance to see him. Without even trying, he easily had each one wrapped around his finger. Admittedly, we have been coercing them into acting to benefit our family, such as getting their high-status parents to favor us.”

“I can testify to that!” a nobleman near the entranceway laughed. “My Quatina wouldn’t stop gushing about the young lad until I agreed to strike a trade deal with his family in order to gain his favor.”

“It still benefitted you though, Notus.” Sir Hinus teased.

Rolling his eyes, Leuqas cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “As you have heard, I am more than capable of wooing the Oracle Knight. I can easily sway him in our favor. And with the power of the goddess on our side, there is no way we can fail.”

After a moment of hesitation, everyone slowly nodded and muttered in approval. “We are putting our faith in you, my son.” his father said with a pleased smile. “If you need anything in order to win the Oracle Knight over, then we will contribute all that we can.”

Leuqas bowed, hiding a smug grin that stretched across his face. “Thank you, everyone, you have my word that I will not let you down.”

He didn’t even have to say what he was really thinking for everyone else in the room to catch on to what he was implying. _As you have just seen, I always get my way._

And with that, Leuqas sat down, confidently crossing one leg over the other as he listened to the rest of the meeting, all of the high class Zoras discussing what the next plan of action would be.

From this point forward, everything would be different.

**;**

With the help of his father’s organization, who apparently called themselves the Proper Order, finding Brivere became much easier in the days following Leuqas’ first meeting.

He didn’t have to waste hours asking palace workers where the golden knight was, inevitably missing Brivere anyways because his location constantly changed from the old information and rumors. However, with the help of the Proper Order, who apparently had eyes and ears all over the palace, he could easily find the Oracle Knight in minutes. They even observed Brivere’s routine, along with Prince Sidon’s, the Holy Knight, and the Hylian Champion, trying to find the best opportunity for Leuqas to speak to the Oracle Knight alone.

Which, after a lot of research and stalking, turned out to basically be never. To everyone’s frustration, especially Leuqas’, Brivere always had one of the other three with him. It made sense because his work duties with his personal knight and the prince, and the Hylian Champion could technically be included because of his status as a war hero. However, it made less sense that even in his off time Brivere was always with one, if not all, of them, and even slept with his younger brother in their shared room every night.

Somehow, none of the Proper Order had noticed that the Oracle Knight was actually dating Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion. The three were so dedicated to keeping their taboo, polyamorous relationship a secret that even the spies were unable to catch onto it. It worked in Brivere’s favor, however, since the lack of this knowledge made the Proper Order continue to try and help Leuqas rather than just give up and murder the prince and his knights already.

Thus, another method of getting alone time with Brivere had to be devised. The many members of the Proper Order were of high ranking officials in the Zora government, making it easy to come up with ways to get rid of Prince Sidon, the Holy Knight, or the Hylian Champion when they were with the golden knight. For weeks, they would get one of the three to step away from Brivere with the excuse of urgent political matters, and then Leuqas would swoop in, playing their meetings off as pure coincidences.

As much as the nobleman hated to admit it, he was having a hard time breaking through to the Oracle Knight. It was clear that coming on too strongly would instantly turn Brivere away, with no hopes of returning from the blowback. The golden knight was polite enough to not try and excuse himself, but this only made the small talk forced and awkward until Leuqas would give up for the day and end the conversation.

It was after one of these uncomfortable meetings that Leuqas found himself in the palace’s library, slumped in a chair and rubbing his temple. The Proper Order was getting impatient, and it was clear that he wouldn’t have their help or cooperation forever.

In all honesty, Leuqas was completely frustrated with Brivere’s lack of reciprocation, and seriously considered just letting the Proper Order follow through with their plans and just off the Oracle Knight already so that he wouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit anymore.

Sighing, he straightened up, trying to strengthen his dwindling motivation. The only thing that kept him going was his pride, not wanting to admit defeat to the Proper Order and his father, as well as the thought of being the only one to break Brivere’s indifferent mask. Admittedly, Leuqas was also encouraged by the thought of sex, as the golden knight had a pretty good figure due to all of the military training that he did every day. But to the nobleman, Brivere had nothing else to offer other than physical appearances.

He snapped out of his thoughts when a blur of scarlet suddenly darted into the library. Turning his head, he watched as the Holy Knight plopped into a corner and quickly pulled out a book, clearly distressed. The young Zora’s head tail wildly flapped against his back as he held back a strangled whine in his mouth.

Leuqas considered leaving the room, disturbed by the strange display, but instead found himself walking over to the Holy Knight. After all, the young Zora _was_ Brivere’s younger brother, so Leuqas might as well try to appeal to him since the nobleman was going to be dating Estuu's older brother anyways.

Crouching down, Leuqas drew his body into a tight ball, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. "Hello there, young one." he cooed. Estuu looked up with panicked eyes, growling and swiping at Leuqas to make him back away.

However, the larger Zora persisted, trying to find a way to calm the child down. "What do you have there?" he asked in a low, gentle voice. Leuqas always oozed charm and had an infectious personality, which was why so many Zora easily liked him, even when they first met the nobleman.

The only exception to this seemed to be Brivere, which was infuriating.

Luckily for Leuqas, Estuu wasn’t the same as his older brother, apparently overtaken by the nobleman’s charisma that could only be rivaled by the enthusiastic Prince Sidon. The younger Zora noticeably relaxed, golden eyes brightening as he held up the book in his only hand. His clawed fingers eagerly tapped on the words inked onto the cover, _The Cursed Girl_.

Leuqas's face pinched. He didn't understand the ruckus about the popular book, having read it himself. It made little to no sense to the nobleman, so he wrote the book off as nothing but Undercity swill.

But if this was important to Brivere's younger brother, then it was worth playing along with. "Oh, that is quite the good read. I enjoyed it as well." Leuqas lied through a convincing, charming smile. "What is your favorite part?"

Estuu perked up and cracked open the book, quickly flipping through the pages before holding it up to the larger Zora. Glancing over the passage, Leuqas nodded, pretending that he had read it. Before he could comment, Estuu drew the book back and flipped a couple more pages, pointing at another block of text. The nobleman nodded again, and the process repeated so many times that Leuqas was convinced that the young Zora was trying to show him the whole book.

He let out a small sigh of relief when the young Zora set the book down, but watched in confusion as Estuu stood up and darted away into the winding maze of library shelves. Leuqas started to stand up, slightly concerned that the young knight had caught onto his disinterest, but this worry quickly vanished when Estuu reappeared before he could get back on his feet.

The young Zora had a large pile of books in his arms (well, an arm and a stump), which he gently set down onto the floor before taking and carefully opening each one to a specific page. He sat down, encouraging Leuqas to do the same, and enthusiastically gestured at the books with his one arm. Confused, the nobleman nodded along, pretending to understand the passages that Estuu was showing to him. The Holy Knight would then flip all of the pages at the same time, pointing to each book with an excited squeal. The display was similar to the one with The Cursed Girl, where Estuu would wildly gesture to the books and Leuqas would nod before the young Zora would flip the pages and repeat the process again.

This went on for quite a while, and Leuqas was starting to get irritated after looking at the same books, just open to a different page, for the hundredth time. He was trying to come up with an excuse to leave without crushing the young knight’s excitement when a golden Zora walked into the library.

"Estuu?" Brivere called out, glancing around the tall bookcases. "Are you h-!"

The golden knight stopped when he laid his eyes on his younger brother sitting on the floor, stunned to see Estuu eagerly gesturing at each book spread out on the ground to a familiar orange Zora.

"Nobleman Leuqas?" Brivere gasped, surprised. "May I ask what you are doing here with my brother?"

Thankful for the chance to get away, Leuqas smiled at Estuu before standing up, turning to face the Oracle Knight. "Your brother had dashed into here looking rather troubled." he said in a sweet, thick voice like syrup. "I calmed him down and he showed me his favorite scenes in these books. He's been at it for quite a while now."

Brivere frowned and bowed. "I apologize for the trouble, I lost track of him when he got overwhelmed in one of our meetings."

Leuqas sauntered over and leaned in closer to the golden knight, letting a smoldering smile grace his rugged features. "It is quite alright, I am merely thankful that he turned out to be alright." he purred in a soft, low voice. "In fact, I quite enjoyed spending time with your younger brother. It was just as pleasant as the time I usually spend with you."

To his surprise, Brivere tilted his head away, not meeting his eyes. This was the only time in months that the golden knight had physically reacted to something Leuqas had said. "In that case, I am thankful for your help." he said quietly before slipping away from the nobleman and over to his younger brother.

Estuu looked up from his books to gaze at his older brother. "Holy Knight, have you recovered now?" Brivere asked gently, chuckling when his younger brother vigorously nodded. The rosy Zora stood up, pointing at the nobleman with a happy gleam in his eyes. Brivere turned to Leuqas, and he felt his heart stop when the golden knight flashed him a brief, but genuine, smile. The Orange Zora hadn't seen it since the knighting ceremony all those months ago.

"This is quite rare." Brivere said, a small titter escaping his taut lips. "My younger brother usually doesn't take a liking to others so easily. The only other people I have seen this happen with is the Prince and the Hylian Champion."

The mention of the two other men usually would have infuriated Leuqas, but he found himself pleased to be considered on the same level as the only other people that were so close to Brivere. "I am honored, then. Both of you are quite enjoyable company."

The Oracle Knight’s golden eyes softened, along with his voice. “In that case, I look forward to the next time we meet. Unfortunately, my Holy Knight and I must take our leave now, to help our lord with some political matters.”

Both of the brothers bowed and left, but Brivere stopped in the entranceway, hesitantly looking back at Leuqas over his shoulder. “Farewell, Nobleman Leuqas.”

The orange Zora smiled back. “Have I not told you that just Leuqas is fine?”

Gently shaking his head, Brivere let out a small chuckle, and Leuqas watched the golden Zora disappear around the corner as victory flooded through his veins.

;

Apparently, the way to the emotionless knight’s heart was through his younger brother, because after the incident in the library, Brivere had begun to open up more to Leuqas.

The Proper Order continued to help the nobleman get more personal contact with the Oracle Knight, and for the first time in weeks their efforts weren’t in vain. Leuqas’ conversations with Brivere became more natural and less forced, and he actually found himself enjoying the time they spent together.

They always started with small talk, but it always developed into something more comfortable and interesting. The nobleman was careful not to talk about Brivere’s past, both because he already knew all about it and also because he didn’t want to turn the golden Zora away or make their relationship awkward again.

Leuqas would jokingly complain about people who annoyed him, particularly upper class Zora in the palace. And while the Oracle Knight never actually said anything in response out of professionality, Brivere’s agreement was clear from the way he slightly nodded or appeared to be biting back a smile. In turn, the golden Zora would retell stories about his time as a knight, such as accompanying Prince Sidon to other parts of Hyrule or fighting in vicious battles. These tales actually fascinated Leuqas, who usually never found interest in what others said, but was drawn in by Brivere’s intriguing way of describing his surroundings and actions.

Figuring out that the Oracle Knight was proud of his combat skills, Leuqas tried to catch Brivere in the barracks or any time that he was training. The golden Zora would show off several moves with a large, silver scale longsword, which had belonged to his late mother, or so he told the nobleman. Leuqas complimented Brivere’s mother along with his talent for fighting, apparently winning over the golden Zora again, who began to ease up to him even more.

The nobleman didn’t understand why he was actually enjoying his time with Brivere, to the point that he didn’t even hang out with Odanta anymore, her presence not as satisfying as the Oracle Knight’s. He expected having to just put up with the golden Zora, but instead Leuqas found that his heart ached every moment that they weren’t together. Nor did he understand why the mere sight of Prince Sidon or the Hylian Champion near Brivere made his blood boil, and he had to hold himself back from the urge to just steal the golden knight away, keeping Brivere for himself.

He thought that all he wanted out of Brivere was the chance to use the golden knight’s body and the pride of being the only one to do so, but now he wanted _everything_ , and he couldn’t explain why. Leuqas wanted Brivere’s attention, wanted his time, his company, his entire being.

And it quickly stopped being a want. It became a _need_.

Although he didn’t admit these strange feelings to anyone else, Leuqas was pleased to finally be able to report progress to the Proper Order. They seemed impressed, considering how no one had ever been able to break through the Oracle Knight’s infamous indifferent mask. While he continued to get closer to Brivere, the Proper Order were strengthening their allies, making plans, all trying to come up with the best course of action. Some argued that it was unnecessary to bring murder into their mutiny while others refused to cooperate unless they did so. Everyone also debated who was necessary to kill and who wasn’t, such as if offing Prince Sidon was enough, or if they had to get his knights as well as anyone else who were still loyal to the royal family.

Either way, they all agreed that keeping the Oracle Knight alive would be to their benefit, due to his extremely helpful and rare future seeing abilities that they would still use after overthrowing the throne. They considered keeping Brivere’s younger brother alive as well, but they were all aware of how difficult the young Zora was to handle. Besides, his healing ability had not returned, and even if it did, it wasn’t as useful as being able to see the future.

The nobleman considered convincing the Proper Order to not kill Estuu, but he decided against it, not wanting to push his luck further than he already had. Besides, it wasn’t his problem. If anything, his beloved younger brother’s death would make Brivere more vulnerable, making him turn to Leuqas for comfort, who would be there with open arms.

After nearly a month of being so close, Leuqas decided that enough time had passed to finally make a clear move on Brivere. To the nobleman, he thought it was obvious that the golden Zora was attracted to him as well. After all, who wouldn’t be?

With the help and connections of the Proper Order, Estuu was sent away on a military mission with the Knight Captain, Link was called away to Hyrule Castle by Princess Zelda, and Prince Sidon was swamped with so much work that he had to spend all of his time holed up in his quarters.

The coordination was difficult to pull off, but quickly proved to be worth the effort, as Brivere would now be alone for nearly a week. During which time Leuqas spent every waking moment with the golden knight, cranking up his charm in preparation for the grand finale on the last day that the Oracle Knight would be without his few friends or little brother.

“I take it that I will see you tomorrow morning as well, Nobleman Leuqas?” Brivere asked, standing outside of his room.

An attractive smirk stretched across the nobleman’s face. “Actually, I would like for you to meet me in the palace gardens around midnight.” he said in a low, sultry voice.

Completely missing the flirtation, the golden knight blinked in confusion. “I apologize, but is there a particular reason?”

“I would rather keep it a surprise.” Leuqas chuckled. “But just know that it is important.”

Brivere hesitantly nodded. “In that case, I will meet you at midnight. Goodnight, my friend.” he said before waving goodbye and ducking into his room.

Leuqas waved back and turned to walk back to his own home, lightly whistling as he enjoyed the moonlight bathing him from above. It would all come down to tonight’s confession, and he had no intention of losing this battle for Brivere's heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if Leuqas seems like nonredeemable trash, then good  
> he's supposed to be


	4. From Out Of Nowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brivere has always unintentionally kept people from getting close to him with an emotionless mask paired with a spear-up-his-ass attitude. So when the charismatic nobleman Leuqas tries to befriend him, it seems too good to be true.
> 
> And unfortunately, it really was.
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline. WARNING: This is the chapter where sexual assault occurs. See end notes for my commentary.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This is the chapter where sexual assault occurs. See end notes for my commentary.
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao

The Oracle Knight softly hummed as he walked through the palace garden at night, trying to find his new friend, Leuqas. The nobleman had invited him for a midnight stroll, which was admittedly strange, as they usually just met up in the morning. However, Brivere shrugged it off, assuming that his friend just wanted to enjoy the moonlight with some company.

Admittedly, the two of them had a rough start, but Brivere was silently ecstatic when he realized that he had the opportunity to have a real friend for once. The only people he really got along with was his two lovers and his little brother, but that always seemed to be on a deeper level than friendship. And while he had recently become friends with Betaal, their relationship was admittedly still a little strained, as it was hard for both of them to erase years of resentment towards the other Zora.

He wanted an actual friend for once, someone who he could just casually talk to, share stories with, enjoy their company without the conversation getting too deep or sad, and not have to worry about taking care of them. Not that he couldn’t do the same with his lovers or his younger brother, but friendship was just an entirely different beast altogether. Link, Sidon, and Betaal had always told him that he had to practice easing up to others, and Leuqas’ infectious personality made the nobleman really easy to start with.

Unfortunately, Brivere was completely unaware of Leuqas’ true intentions to court and bed him. The golden knight had never had people actually admire him before, so he didn’t realize that all of the Zora who came to him after the knighting ceremony were flirting with him. Instead, he thought that they were all trying to befriend him for the sake of power by association. Brivere assumed that Leuqas was the same as the rest of them, and was completely uninterested in someone just trying to use him for his new status. However, he continued to hold awkward small talk with the nobleman, not wanting to piss off the son of one of the most influential families in the Zora Domain. This was just to not make Prince Sidon’s job harder than it had to be.

But this didn’t necessarily make the Leuqas special. Brivere did the same with every other Zora who came to hit on him, always out of sheer politeness and not wanting to make a bad impression on behalf of his prince.

Eventually, when all of the flirtatious Zora began to slowly disappear, Leuqas began to stand out to the golden knight. At first, Brivere was slightly irritated, convinced that the nobleman was simply persistent and more selfish than the others. However, as their coincidental meetings and small talks went on, and Leuqas continued to be nothing but nice and charming, doubt began to gnaw on the back of the golden knight’s mind. He remembered how the nobleman had claimed to wanting to talk to him in the past, but only managed to gain the courage to do so recently when the Oracle Knight had shown him kindness during the knighting ceremony.

Brivere considered doing so again, but was hesitant to actually ease up to Leuqas, in fear that his suspicions of false friendship would turn out to be true. He didn’t want to get his hopes up and find himself swiftly abused and abandoned, like many times before.

This mentality changed when he found his younger brother and the nobleman in the library.

Estuu had run out of a meeting to calm down from a sudden panic attack and Brivere absolutely hated that he couldn’t leave due to his duty with the prince. The second that the meeting was adjourned, he ran out of the room, desperately searching for the younger Zora. He was shocked to find his usually withdrawn younger brother excitedly gesture at many open books that were sprawled all over the library floor.

And even _more_ shocking was that Estuu was showing all of them off to _Leuqas_.

The nobleman had noticed him and stood up with a charming smile, saying that he was simply concerned for the younger Zora. Admittedly, he said so while leaning in a bit _too_ closely to Brivere, but the oblivious golden knight just assumed that Leuqas was simply a very friendly guy. Brivere was also caught off guard by the sudden compliments towards him and his younger brother, unused to such praise. He quickly collected Estuu and left, but even then the young Zora had indicated that he had liked Leuqas.

It was rare for Estuu to open up to someone, especially right off the bat, and Brivere mused that it must be a trait that ran in their family. Brivere knew that his younger brother was a good judge of character, as the only other people he had easily eased up to were Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion. The golden knight doubted Estuu’s intuition when the young Zora easily got along with Link, but was clearly proven wrong when Brivere and the Hylian became close friends and eventually developed into lovers.

Thus, deciding to trust his brother’s instincts, Brivere began to slowly open up to the nobleman. He was pleased to find that Leuqas was a gentleman with an enthusiastic personality, but was unaware that the orange Zora was simply a very charming and convincing actor. The two of them became closer, and Brivere appreciated the casual and friendly talks that they had, which he found difficult to have with others.

Strangely, his only three friends and his younger brother were all suddenly called off to other places, leaving him alone for roughly a week. Admittedly, Brivere had gotten softer after being exposed to all of their affection and love, which he had been starved of most of his life. So being abruptly left alone made old, miserable thoughts begin to resurface, reminding him that he was worthless, that he only had his little brother and three other people, which was pathetic, because he was so unapproachable that no one else wanted to try and get closer.

Except for Leuqas.

The only other Zora he had to keep him company and keep such horrible thoughts at bay during those otherwise lonely days.

Which is how Brivere ended up in the palace gardens at midnight, still searching for the nobleman. The golden knight finally spotted a large, orange Zora ducked under an exotic tree, and quickly jogged over to him.

“I apologize, were you waiting here long?” Brivere asked, tapping his friend on the shoulder.

Leuqas whirled around with his usual charming grin, sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. “Not really, but even if I had, I wouldn’t have minded. After all, a few hours would mean nothing to me if it meant that I got to spend more with you.”

A small smile slipped onto Brivere’s face, which was becoming less and less rare. He liked that he was able to feel so comfortable around his friend. It was impossible not to when Leuqas always drowned him with compliments and praise, which the golden Zora was unused to due to his complicated background. “You always say such unnecessary comments, Nobleman Leuqas.” the knight tittered.

He was taken aback when his friend suddenly frowned. “We have been so close for so long, yet you still cannot drop my title?” Leuqas pouted.

Brivere felt guilty for suddenly ruining the mood. He had such a hard time dropping formalities due to years of serving in the Zora government that trained him to always be professional. And because he had little to no interactions outside of official work, Brivere never had the chance to be casual with others, and trying to do so always felt stiff and awkward. The only exceptions were his younger brother and his lovers, and even _then_ he still referred to them by their proper titles in public and often even in private.

However, Brivere didn’t want his friend to think that he didn’t appreciate the nobleman’s friendship. “I apologize… Leuqas.” he said after a moment of hesitation, cringing at how strange the naked name felt on his tongue.

The way Leuqas’ face brightened made up for it, though, if only slightly. “Not a problem at all, Brivere. Now, shall we enjoy the lovely weather?” he said, holding out his arm, which Brivere locked onto with his own. Both Zora quietly strode through the palace gardens, having enjoyable small talk while they observed the way that the moonlight made the surrounding plants softly glow around them.

Even though their conversation was similar to what they usually had, Brivere felt that something was off this time, although he couldn’t figure out what. Leuqas seemed to be looking at him a lot more than usual, but that could’ve just been his imagination. And although he usually tolerated the nobleman’s touchy nature, figuring that his friend just liked physical contact, Leuqas was much closer than what Brivere found to be comfortable. Several times he would slightly back away, becoming confused when the orange Zora would frown at the withdrawal and grip tighter onto his arm.

The experience was starting to become really unbearable. If it were anyone else, Brivere would have easily made up an excuse and slipped away. And even if they didn’t buy the excuse, he would have left anyways.

But Leuqas wasn’t just anyone else. He was the first true friend Brivere had ever really had in a long time. The golden Zora’s confidence was so low that he was afraid of losing his new companion, knowing that it would be practically impossible to find another one. He was well aware that many people didn’t like him, and to be honest, he didn’t like many of them back. Thus, he continued to walk through the gardens with Leuqas, putting up with the strange feeling gnawing at his gut, not wanting to make their friendship awkward again or possibly even break it off by accident.

Brivere was so disturbed by the strange, new atmosphere that he just numbly allowed Leuqas to take the lead. The nobleman dragged him along, bringing the golden knight to a secluded gazebo at the edge of the gardens near a cliff, overlooking a vast body of water that shimmered in the moonlight.

Leuqas pushed him through the entryway of the small structure, gesturing for Brivere to sit down on the long bench inside. The second he did, Leuqas plopped down right next to him, so close that their legs were practically overlapping.

“… The bench is very wide.” Brivere said.

Leuqas grunted. “So it is.”

Both of them sat in awkward silence as anxiety and confusion began to swell up in Brivere’s chest. What in Hylia’s name had gotten into Leuqas? How much of the nobleman’s sudden strange and uncomfortable actions was he supposed to tolerate?

Was this typical friend behavior? Brivere honestly had no idea. He hadn’t had many actual friendships before, and the few that he currently had come about in rather unorthodox ways.

A low chuckle brought Brivere back out of thoughts. “This view is beautiful, is it not?” Leuqas said, gesturing to the water that shimmered in front of them, reflecting the moonlight back at the silver gazebo so that it glowed.

It really _was_ stunning, but it didn’t ease the golden knight’s inner turmoil. “Um, yes. Quite so.” he awkwardly replied.

The nobleman frowned and leaned in closer, which Brivere didn’t even think was possible. “Is something wrong, love?” he said, raising his brow. “You have been acting quite strange this whole time. I haven’t seen you like this since the first weeks we had first met.”

Love? “To be quite honest, I believe it is _you_ who is acting strangely.” Brivere scowled.

Leuqas stared at him for a few moments with a frown, making the golden Zora suddenly fear that he _himself_ was actually the one in the wrong, and had just lost his only friend. He opened his mouth to apologize, but was interrupted when the nobleman suddenly threw back his head and heartily laughed.

“Oh, Brivere!” he chuckled, draping an arm around the golden knight’s shoulders. Brivere froze. “It is quite adorable that you haven’t caught onto why I brought you out here yet.”

“…I beg your pardon?” the golden Zora asked, unsure of what to do. He didn’t understand why he was suddenly so anxious. For Hylia’s sake, he was a knight, and had fought in gruesome battles, coming out victorious with his longsword held high.

But for some reason, in that moment, he couldn’t force his body to get up and leave. Was it the fear of losing his only friend? The fear of Leuqas’ powerful family? The fear of creating more unnecessary political turmoil for his beloved prince?

The worst outcomes blossomed inside his mind, almost completely distracting Brivere from the confession that Leuqas began to speak. “I have wanted you ever since I laid eyes on you at your knighting ceremony.” he purred in a disgustingly sweet voice. Leuqas’ large hand slipped off of Brivere’s shoulder and slid down his side, feeling every golden scale. “You were quite stunning, and have continued to be since then. I only wished that I had realized so sooner, so that we could have had more… _personal_ time together.”

Brivere finally snapped out of his paralysis when the nobleman’s hand creeped onto his leg and rubbed his inner thigh, tracing the golden knight’s firm muscles.

“What are you doing?!” Brivere shouted, jumping up from the bench. He didn’t care about the consequences anymore. _No one_ was allowed to touch him in such a way unless he absolutely trusted them, and only two people had managed to gain his well-guarded faith.

Leuqas lunged at him, as if to force the golden Zora into his arms, but Brivere quickly jumped back into a battle stance and put a hand on the longsword strapped to his back. The two Zora held tense eye contact, fury beginning to boil in both of their chests.

“I should be asking you the same question!” Leuqas barked.

Brivere narrowed his golden eyes. “And just how am _I_ in the wrong here?” he hissed, venom dripping off of his tongue. “You cannot just do such a repulsive thing out of nowhere! We have only known each other for a little under two months!”

The orange Zora suddenly stood up, towering over the golden knight. But Brivere didn’t back down, glaring at his previous friend while tightening his grip on the longsword. “Out of nowhere?” Leuqas snarled. “I have been flirting with you this whole time! What, are you a fucking tease or something?”

Eyes widening, Brivere gawked at the nobleman. “…this whole time?”

Leuqas let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you so fucking dense that you didn’t realize it until now? What the hell did you think I was doing this whole time?”

The golden knight glowered. “I _thought_ you were trying to be my friend.”

“As if.” the nobleman scoffed. Brivere absolutely hated how just those two words alone made his heart hurt. “You know how fucking difficult it is to put up with you? Everyone practically praised me like a war hero for being the only one who actually managed to get close to you, and thought I was insane for even wanting to in the first place.”

“Why…”

Leuqas stepped forward, not allowing the golden Zora to continue as he put his face an inch away from Brivere’s. “You have no idea how much work I have had to do just to be this close to you. You should be fucking _honored_ that someone like _me_ would want _anything_ with someone like _you_.” the nobleman spat, stabbing a finger into Brivere’s chest, digging the spoken knife deeper into his heart with each exaggerated word. “So just take the fucking offer, because it’s the only one you’ll ever get.”

Shoving him away, Brivere walked towards the archway of the gazeebo. “You couldn’t be more wrong.” he hissed as he stepped outside, wanting to run and find Sidon or Link to erase this whole horrible night away.

Suddenly, hands roughly wrapped around his neck, pulling him back into the small gazeebo and slamming him onto the ground. He writhed on the floor in pain, trying to grab onto his longsword, but Leuqas forced the weapon strap off so harshly that it left bruises on the golden Zora. Quickly throwing the sword out of reach, the nobleman pinned down and pressed his full bodyweight onto the knight, making it hard for Brivere to move or even breathe.

Even though Brivere was the Oracle Knight, had been through years of military training, had fought in countless battles against ferocious enemies, it still didn’t overcome the fact that the orange Zora was simply much larger than him. The only Zoras Brivere knew that were definitely bigger than Leuqas were Prince Sidon and King Dorephan, which was more due to the use of spirit potions in the royal family.

Brivere helplessly flailed against his attacker, yelling for help, only to be suddenly cut off by the large hands that roughly pressed over his mouth.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” he growled into the side of Brivere’s head. “You little shit, are you fucking seeing someone else?”

Fear shot through Brivere’s heart and he suddenly stilled, completely paralyzed. He didn’t know how to answer. Telling the truth would definitely stop this whole thing because his lovers held such high positions, and Leuqas would be _terrified_ of messing with two of the few people that held more power than himself.

However, Brivere was also well aware of the fact that his polyamorous relationship with Link and Sidon was taboo in Zora society. Even if he lied and said that just one of them was his lover, the truth would inevitably be forced out. Besides, Link and Sidon were already public about their side of the relationship, since they were dating before Brivere had joined. The three of them had suffered for over a year, trying to keep it secret, all for the sake of still being able to see each other without any consequences or social ramifications.

It was a fantasy that was too good to be true.

Brivere seriously considered going through with whatever the hell Leuqas was planning if it meant that his lovers would be spared. Yet he knew that Link and Sidon wouldn’t want him to, and wished for him to stay safe above everything else.

The golden knight had only recently learned that he was more than a sword meant to be broken fighting for others, more than a shield meant to be hurt protecting others.

But that didn’t mean he was confident enough to fully accept the foreign concept yet.

“Well?” Leuqas spat, gripping onto Brivere’s wrists so hard that he was beginning to lose feeling in his fingers.

Brivere weakly shook his head. “No one. I am seeing no one.”

A smile stretched across the nobleman’s face, but there was no trace of the friendliness that the golden knight was used to. “I fucking thought so. What, you think you’re fucking better than me or something? No one would ever want to date an asshole like you.”

“And what exactly makes you so different from everyone else?” Brivere spat back, glaring him down.

The nobleman chuckled and slid his revolting tongue across Brivere’s lips, every drop of saliva feeling like poison that was melting through the golden knight’s skin. Brivere thrashed around, trying to free himself from underneath the larger Zora. “I must admit, you are quite ravishing. A nice, sculpted body from years in the military.” Leuqas cooed, running his hands over Brivere’s sides. Each scale he touched felt like it was on fire, threatening to burn the golden knight alive.

He pressed his lips against Brivere’s jaw, licking and sucking the pale skin so hard that it quickly began to bruise. “But that isn’t all I want. I desire the rest of you as well… mind, soul, _everything_.”  the nobleman purred. Tightening his grip on the golden Zora’s wrists, Leuqas shimmied his legs in-between Brivere’s crotch, forcing the knight’s legs to splay wide open as he roughly grinded their bodies together.

The golden knight shouted for help, for his former friend to stop, but it became quickly apparent that there was a reason that Leuqas had brought him to a gazeebo so far away from the palace in the first place. The nobleman had originally intended to do this with Brivere consensually, far from the eyes or ears of anyone else, but the location still served its purpose in the current situation. Still, Leuqas decided that it was best to be cautious, and he muffled the screams by mashing his mouth onto Brivere’s, forcing the knight’s mouth open as he slid his tongue inside.

Brivere absolutely despised this revolting turn of events. He was a knight, had defeated countless enemies and monsters in battle, had even rose through the ranks in the Zora military and proved to be one of the best fighters in the Zora Domain.

Yet the thing that manages to take him down is some spoiled, upper class Zora, the very thing he despised, the very kind of people that tormented and tore apart his family for nearly a century. He loathed these self-entitled reprobates with every scale on his body. All they did was take and take, not caring who it hurt as long as it satisfied their own disgusting, selfish desires.

Suddenly, that blinding hatred reminded him of his ability to see the future, as Brivere had only gained it after being pressured to do so in order to become a tool for the elite. But in that moment, running out of options as Leuqas started to get bolder, grinding even harder, touching forbidden places, the golden knight would use his abilities to save himself for once.

Brivere tightly shut his eyes and tried to block out the overwhelming nausea that washed over him, unsure if the sickening feeling was from trying to use his powers or from the violation of his body. Most likely both. However, stilling his body and closing his eyes only made Leuqas believe that the golden Zora was finally submitting into the situation, encouraging the nobleman to quicken his despicable movements.

Somehow, he managed to get away from it all, thankful for once when the visions came into his mind and overwhelmed his every thought. Brivere had gained much better control of his powers after some time in Kakariko Village, so it wasn’t hard to scan through the images and try to piece together the best way out of the situation. And after a few seconds, he got it.

It just involved doing things he absolutely didn’t want to do.

Brivere let a moan slip out of his lips, making Leuqas look up at him with a smirk. “Mmm, are you finally enjoying yourself, love?” he obnoxiously purred right over Brivere’s mouth. To his surprise, the golden Zora nodded with half lidded eyes, wrapping his arms around Leuqas’ neck as he threw his head back.

“It’s about time.” the nobleman chuckled into Brivere’s neck before dragging his tongue along it. “See? It would have been easier for both of us if you did so in the first place.”

Every fiber of Brivere’s being wanted to fight back, to resist with every ounce of dwindling power that he had, but his visions had already told him that doing so wouldn’t accomplish anything. They showed that it would only make the experience worse, and in some of them, Leuqas snapped and picked up the knight’s longsword, stabbing Brivere to death with it before fleeing the murder scene.

No, there was only one safe course that guaranteed that he would get out of this alive.

“Give me your cock already.”

Leuqas’ head snapped up in bewilderment, irises completely blown out in lust, making his eyes completely black. He suddenly stopped grinding against Brivere as a revoltingly sweet smile stretched across his face. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“You heard me.” Brivere hummed. 

The nobleman chuckled, tightening his vice grip on the knight. “Ah, yes, I did. But I intend to savor every moment of this, to make up for the months of shit I had to go through just to get this far.” His eyes narrowed, making his smile appear all the more sinister. “So if you want it, you have to beg.”

Brivere hesitated. This was the only way out. “Give it to me already.”

“I’m sorry?” Leuqas sneered. “Give you what?”

“Your cock.” the golden knight muttered.

Brivere’s breath hitched when the nobleman suddenly grinded down _hard_. “Well, if you insist.” Leuqas purred, rubbing his crotch against Brivere’s, trying to speed up the process, and the golden knight had to stop himself from throwing up on the spot. He was so close to freedom.

Finally, the opportunity presented itself in the form of a disgusting limb that started to emerge from Leuqas’ genital slit. The nobleman looked up at Brivere with a wide, triumphant grin on his face, ready to finally get the main event started.

But the smug smile was quickly smacked off of his face when Brivere reeled his leg back, slamming it into the nobleman’s genitals with the force only one of the Domain’s best soldiers could give.

Leuqas’ eyes bugged, nearly popping out of his head as he let out a vicious howl. Using his visions as a guide, Brivere shoved his hands into the weak areas of the nobleman, knocking the large Zora off of him. He scrambled to get up, nearly tripping when Leuqas bellowed and tried to grab his ankles.

“YOU FUCKING LITTLE SHIT!” Leuqas screamed as Brivere managed to slip away. He darted out of the gazebo, and would have kept running, but then remembered that he was missing something.

His mother’s sword.

If he left it behind, he most likely wouldn’t get it back again, the nobleman either keeping it for himself or using it as ransom. Leuqas seemed to catch on as well, and both of them scrambled to lunge at the weapon that was thrown off to the side. Luckily, Brivere got to it first, quickly snatching the weapon up and swinging it at the nobleman, who dove off to the side.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS?!” the nobleman howled, clawing at Brivere as he ran away. Apparently, Leuqas wasn’t a complete dumbass, as he didn’t chase after the golden Zora. Not only did he just get the most sensitive part of his body completely obliterated, but the Oracle Knight was one of the Domain’s best soldiers, while Leuqas had never even been in a fight before tonight.

He could do nothing but writhe in pain on the floor of the gazebo and shriek at the Oracle Knight, who was sprinting back to the palace at an impossible speed for a Zora. “NO ONE WILL FUCKING BELIEVE YOU IF YOU TELL THEM! IM ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ZORA IN THIS HYLIA DAMNED DOMAIN!”

The adrenaline pumping through Brivere’s veins was overwhelming, and he didn’t even know where he was going. His feet decided anywhere but here.

Even as he got further and further, Brivere could still hear his former friend shout after him, the nobleman’s furious voice echoing off of the walls in the garden. But nothing was registering in his mind except for the need to keep running, making the palace halls become a blur, muscle memory becoming the only thing to guide Brivere to wherever his legs were taking him.

The golden knight ended up collapsing back in his quarters, not even making it to the water bed, instead crumpling to the ground and dragging himself into the darkest corner of the room. Brivere curled into himself and clutched at his head, unsure if it was Leuqas he was still hearing or the unforgiving voice whispering inside of his mind.

_If you tell anyone, they will ask why you didn’t see the signals._

_If you tell anyone, they will think you are weak._

_If you tell anyone, they won’t believe you._

_You should have remembered that you are one of the strongest warriors in the Zora Domain._

_You should have known that no one would want to befriend you._

_You should have been able to fight him off._

_It was your fault._

_It was your fault._

_It was your fault._

At some point, that last phrase was the only thing that echoed inside of Brivere’s head, making his heart scream in pain as he smothered the sobs that thrashed around in his chest.

_It was your fault._

And as his mind tore itself apart in the lonely darkness of his room, Brivere began to accept it as the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene is written off of my own experiences as well as ones from my friends or other people I know.  
> The fears Brivere has is also based off of this group.  
> I always strive to write the Coma Baby characters as they are in canon, and I think that although nothing like this has happened in CB, this is kind of accurate to how Brivere would act. He's the kind of person to keep things down, not want to appear weak, solve it on his own, not let others know his problems, and so on. Lemme know if you think it's accurate!


	5. From The Point Of No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brivere is Leuqas’s, no matter what the nobleman has to do to ensure that it becomes that way permanently. 
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes, art, and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao

Leuqas barged into his father’s study room, interrupting the meeting occurring inside. Everyone in the Proper Order turned to look at him, but the nobleman ignored the stares pointed at the bruises on his body as he stormed over to his father.

“Son?!” Sir Hinus exclaimed, grabbing on to his son’s arms and frantically examining his injuries. “What in Hylia’s name happened?!”

“Your incompetence happened.” Leuqas snarled, turning his head to glare at all of the Zora in the room, who flinched. “All of you.”

One bold council member scowled back. “And just how are _we_ responsible for _your_ date going awry? It wouldn’t have even happened without our help!”

Pulling out of his father’s grasp, Leuqas stomped over to the council member, looming over him with a ferocious snarl. “Help? As if.” the nobleman spat. “Do you wish to explain how none of you, despite the many eyes the Proper Order has all over the palace, noticed that the Oracle Knight was already seeing someone?”

Everyone’s jaw dropped open as they gawked at the orange Zora, who was seething with anger. “Did he actually say that he was?” the council member cowering under Leuqas squeaked. “That is impossible! We have been observing him closely for weeks! There’s no way-!”

“And that’s exactly what I’m wondering!” Leuqas roared, making everyone in the room flinch. He closed his eyes, clenching his fists as he tried to keep his voice steady. “He didn’t explicitly say that he was. But it was quite obvious that he was trying to hide the truth from me.”

“Who the hell would want to date that emotionless knight anyways?” Notus chuckled. He was close to Sir Hinus, and was just trying to calm down his friend’s son. It clearly backfired when Leuqas glared at him with a deadly, golden eyes.

“Oh.” Notus said. “Right, sorry. No offense, lad.”

“Son.” Sir Hinus called out, gesturing to a chair next to him. “Please, sit down. I am so sorry that your attempts have failed because of our ineptitude, but you must stay calm so that we can try and fix it.”

Everyone stared at Leuqas, who continued to stand there with his fists clenched, chest heaving, eyes darting around the room as if he was looking for someone to throttle. They all sighed with relief when the orange Zora grudgingly stomped over to the chair, aggressively sitting down in it with his arms crossed.

“So what now?” Leuqas laughed incredulously. “If you guys are going to kill the Oracle Knight, go ahead. He’s as good as dead to me.”

Sir Hinus shook his head. “Actually, we all agreed to keep him alive, in the small chance that you didn’t manage to win him over. What you had said about his abilities was true. That goddess blood in him is too rare and powerful to put to waste.”

“What happened to not being able to force him into using it?” the orange Zora spat, brow raised.

“We had discussed that as well.” another Zora in the study piped up. “After some research, we had discovered that the Yiga Clan had actually tortured the golden knight into using his abilities. We are confident that we could do the same. And if the Oracle Knight is seeing someone, as you claim, then we can also find that Zora and use them as a bargaining chip.”

“And if it does not work out, we could always force him to reproduce with one of our own, ensuring that his goddess blood will at least be preserved.” Sir Hinus continued. “We can raise the child to use the ability for the Proper Order’s needs, for when we start a new form of government.”

Leuqas frowned. “If it would have been that simple, then why bother to go through with my plans at all?”

Sighing, Sir Hinus gazed at his son, holding sorrowful eye contact. “It was just a last resort. As much as we are willing to do _anything_ to restore our broken government, we are not monsters.” The old Zora’s eyes twinkled. “Plus, I wished to give my son the chance to pursue what he desired. But since it unfortunately didn’t work out, we have no choice but to resort to torture if necessary.”

Leuqas nodded. All he wanted was for Brivere to suffer, for daring to be so audacious, for daring to even _think_ that he was better than the nobleman. For denying Leuqas what he wanted. “That sounds reasonable. So now what?”

Smiling, Sir Hinus clasped his hands on his son’s broad shoulders. “After months of research and debate, we believe that it is best if we move forward and assassinate the prince.”

Everyone else in the room muttered in agreement, and the meeting continued as plans were made; what weapon would be used, when the best time to strike was, basically trying to take every possible outcome into account. This complicated process reminded them why the Oracle Knight’s abilities would be helpful to them in the first place, further cementing their desire to keep Brivere alive for their own good.

But Leuqas didn’t care, tuning out the voices of people he didn’t give a damn about. They could kill Prince Sidon, sure. It didn’t bother the orange Zora in the slightest. And although he had claimed that he wanted the Oracle Knight to die earlier, for some reason he found himself relieved when the Proper Order said that they wouldn’t kill Brivere.

Brivere.

Anger boiled in his chest at the thought of the golden Zora. No one likes Brivere. Everyone loves Leuqas. Brivere should have been _honored_ that the nobleman even wanted anything to do with him in the first place, especially considering all of the work that Leuqas had to put in to get closer to him. The golden Zora clearly didn’t know his place to be so bold as to attack the nobleman, much less deny Leuqas what he desired.

Leuqas wanted nothing but to restrain Brivere again, finally take what was his, savor every scream for help and moment of suffering from the golden Zora as compensation for tonight’s audacity. When the Proper Order captures the Oracle Knight after killing Prince Sidon, that would be the first thing Leuqas would request of his father. He knew that he would get what he wanted.

In the end, he always did.

And then he remembered the reason why Brivere had refused his advances in the first place. Although the golden knight had denied it, it was obvious that someone else had gotten to him before Leuqas did. He furiously ran through the options in his mind, becoming more and more frustrated as the possibilities dwindled. Even though so many Zora had come in pursuit of Brivere after his knighting ceremony, it was well known that none of them but Leuqas had actually managed to get on the indifferent knight’s good side. The nobleman should have at least taken a little pride in that impossible achievement, but it was completely unsatisfactory.

He wanted _more_.  

Other than that, there was no one else. Despite his high status, Brivere wasn’t well liked and barely had any friends. Leuqas didn’t even need the Proper Order’s connections to see that. It was obvious in the way that the golden Zora always had an intimidating, emotionless mask on, paired with a spear-up-his-ass personality. While he was polite, it was nearly impossible to become casual with the golden knight, who couldn’t even refer to others without their formal titles. Altogether, it formed a broken, stiff Zora that no one wanted to come near.

But for whatever reason, Leuqas was obsessed with the golden Zora that he found hiding underneath an emotionless mask.

Leuqas chuckled to himself, but there was no trace of humor in it. He mused that it was a miracle that Brivere even had three people other than the nobleman who seemed to like him in the first place, and one of them was just because the young Zora was his only family: Estuu, the Hylian Champion, and Prince Sidon.

Prince Sidon.

Leuqas’ blood began to boil as everything slowly began to come together, Prince Sidon’s strange actions over the past few months finally making sense. Why the prince had interfered so many times, why he was so hostile, why he and Brivere seemed to spend nearly every waking moment together. Of course they would want to keep it secret. A prince canoodling with his personal knight? Such a scandal would shake the Domain to its core.

His fists clenched as the prince soon took over his mind. While Leuqas was quite handsome by Zora standards, Prince Sidon was practically a god in that aspect. He was larger than the nobleman, more muscular, had more power, and was essentially the better version of Leuqas, if not absolute perfection.

It infuriated the nobleman. Leuqas wanted nothing else than to prove to Brivere that he had made the wrong choice.

Leuqas tuned back into the meeting at just the right time when another high class Zora spoke up. “Look, we can talk all night about the logistics of killing the prince. But the fact remains that none of us have volunteered to actually execute the assassination plan.”

Everyone flinched and shifted in place. They had been talking in circles for hours, trying to avoid that very subject. All of them looked at each other, begging someone to step forward, and by Hylia’s grace a large orange Zora did just that.

Leuqas stood up, a confident smile shining on his face. “I would be honored to do it.”

;

The days following the meeting and leading up to the assassination were surprisingly uneventful.

All of them were content with letting Leuqas handle the murder of their despicable prince. One would think that Sir Hinus would be hesitant to let his son carry out such a dangerous operation, but if anything, the old Zora was happy to have another reason to be proud of his son and brag about Leuqas in the years to come. It would also give their family a leg up in the government after they had overthrown the throne, and Sir Hinus even mused that they could possibly replace the royal line, considering that his son would be responsible for it all.

The Proper Order was still keeping eyes on Brivere, who had apparently holed himself up in his room, not speaking to or seeing anyone unless it was to attend to his duties.

Leuqas reveled in the fact that the Oracle Knight had finally learned his place. He and Brivere were the only ones who knew about what had happened at the gazebo, and it would stay that way for reasons that was blatantly clear. The only thing Brivere had was his duty as Oracle Knight, and even then many people couldn’t understand the position made up by the golden Zora. Practically no one liked the emotionless knight, who intimidated and turned them all away with an indifferent, unflinching mask.

Other than that, Leuqas had everything. He was the son of one of the most powerful families in the Zora Domain. Everyone admired his charming personality, and the nobleman was extremely beloved and trusted by every Zora who met him.

If Brivere told anyone, no one would believe him. And even if they did, they would blame the golden knight for not seeing the danger sooner, for not stopping it from happening earlier on, mocking the so-called warrior for not even being able to fight off a mere nobleman.

And it was clear that Brivere knew this as well. Leuqas wasn’t surprised that the incident wasn’t the talk of the entire Zora Domain the very next day. Even Prince Sidon didn’t know, because if he _was_ aware, then the nobleman’s head would have already been on a pike by the time the sun rose after the night at the gazebo.

The only thing left to do was kill the prince and have Brivere again. Four uneventful days quickly passed, and the opportunity finally presented itself to Leuqas in the form of his father handing him the appointed dagger.

The plan was for Leuqas to sneak into the prince’s room as he slept, plunging the sharp weapon into his neck, head, and heart. Leuqas planned to go further than that afterwards and considered dismembering the prince out of satisfaction. Originally, they thought that they should use poison, but Zora were extremely sensitive to smell, and the scent of the toxin would instantly be picked up and raise alarm. It also had to be done as the prince slept, as he had very powerful empathetic abilities that would easily detect murderous intent.

Using the connections of the Proper Order, Brivere was given a letter telling him that his younger brother was dying from an irreparable battle wound. The golden Zora snapped out of his deep pit of self-loathing, quickly running off to see the only family he had left, possibly not for long as far as he knew. Any other soldiers or workers in the palace were arranged to be nowhere near the prince’s quarters.

And with that, Leuqas easily slipped into the prince’s room that night, dagger confidently clutched in his hand as he held the weapon over the large form curled up under the covers on the water bed.

That smug determination was quickly shattered when the figure under the blankets shot up, quickly pointing a silver scale longsword to the nobleman’s throat.

Leuqas was terrified at first, but when he realized who was wielding the weapon, he smirked. “I don’t know if I should be surprised or not that a whore like you can’t even leave the prince’s sheets knowing that your beloved younger brother is dying alone.”

“Estuu is alive and well.” Brivere spat back. “I had a vision about your treachery and sent my lord off. He is far from your grasp now.”

Holding up his hands in mock defeat, Leuqas boldly stepped forward until the point of the knight’s longsword was gently pushed against his chest. “Even now, you are so under my influence that you won’t even kill me after all I have done.” he purred. “I must say, it is quite the turn on.”

The golden knight’s voice hardened. “An abomination like you has nothing to do with it. I promised my lord that I would not use brute force unless absolutely necessary.”

“And you don’t find it necessary when I literally tried to fuck you against your will and just now attempted to kill your lover?”

Brivere’s eyes widened, lips slightly ajar in shock that the nobleman had discovered the truth of his relationship with the prince. However, he quickly got over his surprise. “No. You and I are both aware that I could easily take you down. But I know that the Zora court will give you the punishment you deserve.”

“First off, I think what happened between us at the gazebo proves that you aren’t as strong as you have deluded yourself to believe.” Leuqas said, smirking when he felt the blade against his chest tremble from the fury exuding from the golden knight.

But the nobleman continued, knowing that Brivere’s hunger for answers was stronger than his thirst for blood. “And second off, that vision of yours must have not told you everything. Most of that court is filled with traitors, each one of them part of an organization that includes more than half of the palace. All of them were involved in putting me up to this and they fully support everything I decide on. Even if that thick-headed prince backs you up, I still have the support of practically the whole government. Do you know what that means?”

Chuckling, Leuqas leaned in, whispering familiar words to the paralyzed knight. “If you tell _anyone_ , they won’t believe you.”

The grip on the longsword weakened, and Leuqas easily pushed the Brivere’s arm back down to his side, reveling in the realization of defeat that dawned on the golden knight’s face.

Just like back at the gazebo, no one would be coming to help.

“Oh don’t worry, I won’t be doing the same as back then.” Leuqas said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “In fact, I am hoping that I will be able to convince you into joining us.”

Life suddenly came back into Brivere as he glared back. “Are you mad?” he sharply whispered in a tone so harsh that the golden knight may as well have shouted.

“Oh no, I believe _you_ are the one who is mad.” Leuqas sneered. “I have never understood why you continue to serve under that miserable excuse of a prince. You are goddess blooded, you literally have the power to see the future, yet you waste it on an idiotic Zora that is throwing our Domain into the hands of those below us.”

Brivere shot up from the bed, shoving the nobleman back as he got onto his feet. “Do _not_ speak ill of Prince Sidon!” he shouted.

Anger boiled in Leuqas’ chest at the name of his rival. It made him absolutely furious that Brivere continued to defend that pathetic Zora. “What does he have that I don’t?!” the nobleman screamed back. “You and I are above him! It makes no fucking sense that you stay with him when I have offered myself to you!”

Brivere suddenly went still and stared at the nobleman, golden eyes ablaze. “There are too many things to list.” he said in an unsettlingly steady voice. “But all you need to know is that he is far better than you in every way.

Stepping closer, a rare smile slipped onto the golden knight’s face, but it didn’t have the kindness or affection that Leuqas was desperate to have. “And even if I didn’t have him, I still would have never chosen a disgusting miscreant like you.”

The words hit the nobleman like a blow to the gut, throwing the first punch and encouraging retaliation. Roaring, he lunged forward and grabbed Brivere by the neck, shoving both of them onto the waterbed. Leuqas drank in the similarities between this moment and what had happened at the gazebo, getting drunk off of the fear that struck the golden Zora’s face as Brivere realized the same thing.

But unlike back then, someone came to help.

“Stop!” Prince Sidon shouted, charging into the room. “Stop this immediately!”

Brivere’s eyes went wide, looking away from his attacker to stare at the prince in a mix of relief and anger. “My lord!” he screamed. “I told you to not get involved!”

The boiling blood in Leuqas’ body was burning him alive, outraged at the thought that the prince had effortlessly taken what was his once again. He quickly got off of Brivere and charged at the large red Zora, tackling the prince and knocking him onto the ground before quickly straddling his chest.

Leuqas suddenly remembered why he had come here in the first place. Grabbing the dagger hanging off of his hip, the nobleman raised the weapon above his head with a crazed look in his wide eyes, a satisfied sneer quickly stretching across his face.

“NO!”

A sharp bolt of pain suddenly shot through Leuqas’ chest and blazed through his body, the sensation so jarring that he dropped the dropped the dagger in his hands out of shock. He didn’t even realize what had happened until Brivere had shoved him off of the prince, the golden knight crying in distress as he checked his lover for wounds.

Numbly, Leuqas summoned the last of his dwindling strength to bring his hand up to his chest, bumping his fingers against the cold metal of the longsword that had skewered his body. Even as all feeling quickly left him, Leuqas was still disturbed by the stickiness of his own blood as it pooled around him.

His eyes glazed over and became clouded in darkness as he watched Brivere embrace the prince, both of them trembling in fear at the thought of being without the other. Only then did Leuqas understand why the sight made his heart wrench, why he wanted nothing more than to be the prince in that moment, to be the one being held by the golden Zora that he had accidentally fallen in love with in the completely wrong way.

Perhaps Brivere was just the one thing Leuqas wasn’t supposed to have.

And as his body went limp, giving himself over into the oblivion that he deserved, Leuqas still wished that it didn’t have to be that way, even in death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok in case anyone is confused:  
> Leuqas didn't realize he was actually in love with Brivere until he was dying at the end  
> He hasn't really been in love with anyone before, so when he was starting to feel attracted in like CH.4 he assumed it was just some weird thing wrong with him or that it was because of his original goal to just get with Brivere out of pride  
> But don't sympathize with him  
> he's an nonredeemable asshole  
> No matter how attracted he was to Brivere, to the point of obsession, it doesnt excuse his actions at all  
> it just explains them


	6. From How It Used To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link returns to the Zora Domain, excited to see his lovers after being gone for so long. But when Brivere has reverted back to the closed off Zora that Link hadn’t seen since they had first met, he and Sidon become worried for their shared lover.
> 
> Especially when the golden knight is clearly holding back something that is silently killing him from the inside out.
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Infatuation, Based off of Coma Baby, sorta like an alternate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my fucking god.  
> I fucked up so bad.  
> Please read end notes to understand how lmao nooooooo whyyyy I'm updating this at like 4:20 AM (literally)
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao

Link eventually returned from his trip to Hyrule Castle, where he was trying to fix his shaky relationship with Princess Zelda. She had officially relinquished Link as her knight after Brivere had convinced the Hylian to explain why he was so hostile towards her. Zelda was heartbroken, saying that she had never intended to make Link like he was nothing but a sword and shield for her protection, and that she truly valued him deeply as a friend. And while it was hard to believe the princess’ words, Link was willing to try and be as close to her as they used to be over a century ago.

However, he couldn’t stay away from the Zora Domain forever, as that was where the people he cared the most about lived. Link was surprised to find that the palace had a lot of Undercity Zora walking around, and the way they all wore government-appointed jewelry and adornments made it clear that they were actually working there. While he was happy that the Zora Domain was apparently growing towards class equality, the sudden change was jarring, and Link quickly looked for his Zora lovers to explain what had happened while he was gone. 

It was hard to track Prince Sidon down, and when he did, Link was told that he would have to wait until the prince was finished with a meeting. Sighing, he decided to look for Brivere instead, which wasn’t as difficult. The golden Zora was holed up in his room, so focused on the stacks of papers piled up on his desk that he didn’t even notice the Hylian enter.

“Aren’t you going to greet your lover after he’s been away for so long?” Link teased. The grin quickly fell off of his face when Brivere looked up from his work with empty golden eyes. His face was completely blank, and the Zora may as well have been a golden corpse propped up in a chair. 

“Hello, Hylian Champion.” he quietly said. 

Concerned, Link walked over and gently rested a hand on the knight’s shoulder. He hadn’t seen his lover look like that in years. “Brivere, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

The golden Zora lightly shook his head. “I am fine.”

“No, you aren’t.” Link said, brows furrowing. “Seriously, you know you can tell me anything.”

Link caught onto the way Brivere’s breath hitched as his mouth opened, clearly wanting to say something, but just let out a long, defeated sigh instead. “I would just rather not talk about it. At least, not now.” the golden knight said as he turned back to his work, but glanced at Link from the corner of his eye. “I apologize for being this way after you have been gone for so long, and while I so deeply love your company, I must beg you to allow me to be alone for now.”

Hesitantly, Link nodded, squeezing his shoulder before turning to leave. He stood in the doorway and turned back to Brivere. “Hey, whatever is happening, just know that I love you.”

Brivere went completely still for a few moments, and the Hylian worried that he might have actually died until the golden knight lightly bobbed his head up and down. “I love you as well.”

With that, Link left, quickly trying to find Sidon to find out what had happened. Anxiety and concern rattled around in his chest as he ran through the palace halls. Brivere used to have that cold, steely mask on all of the time, especially when the Hylian Champion had met him. It irritated the hell out of Link at first, and he thought that the golden Zora was just some stuck up noble, but as he got to know Brivere better the Hylian realized that he kept the mask so tight in order to keep his inner turmoil from showing. It was nothing but a front to keep his feelings from flooding out. 

And while he still donned an indifferent mask now, it wasn’t as intense. It wasn’t as concerning. It was nothing but pure muscle memory, which Link and a few others were trying to help Brivere overcome, to let him learn that it was okay to let himself feel and express his emotions. 

So for him to go back to such bad habits…

Link ran into the meeting room he was banned from earlier, darting past and ignoring the guards who yelled at him to stop. Everyone inside of the room looked up in confusion, but Sidon snapped out of it when he realized who it was.

“Ah, hello, Hylian Champion!” the prince exclaimed, his signature grin stretching across his face. “I am so happy to see you after you were gone for so long!”

He almost reached out to hug Link out of habit, but froze in place after remembering where he was. Clearing his throat, the prince tried to contain his excitement. “However, and I do apologize, but I must ask you to wait for me until after this meeting.”

Link scowled at him. “I need to talk to you now.”

“…Can it not wait for a few minutes? We are almost done.” Sidon asked, raising his brow.

“It’s important.”

Catching onto his lover’s urgency, the prince turned to look at the other workers in the meeting with him. “I do apologize, everyone, but as you have heard, the Hylian Champion has requested my presence on pressing matters.”

Betaal, who was not the only Undercity Zora in the room for once, laughed and waved him off. “It is quite alright, my lord. As you have said, we are almost done. I can easily take over from here.”

“Thank you, Knight Captain. I will leave you to it then.” Sidon said, politely bowing to everyone before darting out of the room to join Link, who was already walking away to find a more secluded place.

The two of them quickly ducked into an empty room, and before Sidon could even ask anything, Link whipped around to hug him. The prince laughed, tightly squeezing the Hylian to his chest. “While I have missed and desired your presence so badly, and I am sure you feel the same, I do not believe it is an appropriate excuse to drag me out of a meeting, my love.” Sidon teased. Link pulled back so that the prince could see the Hylian roll his blue eyes.

“Yeah, that was part of it, but there’s something more to it.” Link said, frowning. “Do you know what the hell happened to Brivere?”

The Hylian felt his Zora lover tense up against him and the two held each other in silence. Finally, Sidon sighed, and let go of Link, kneeling down so that they were at equal eye level. “I assume that you saw the state he was in? Is he still completely engrossed in his work?”

Link nodded. “Sidon, he looked like how he did when I first met him. And that’s bad.”

“I am aware. But it makes sense, considering all that has occurred during your absence.” the prince sighed.

“What the hell happened?”

Sidon rubbed the back of his neck, trying to recall all of the events over the past few months. “Do you remember the nobleman Leuqas that I warned you about?”

Link scowled. “Yeah, you mean the asshole that was getting way too close to Brivere?”

A sad titter slipped out of the prince’s taut lips. “Not quite the words I would use, but yes. To make a long story short, he was trying to romance Brivere, who thought that the nobleman was just trying to be friends. And you must understand, not many people are able to get on his good side, so it was a miracle to him when he believed that he found a true friend for once."

“Yeah, I’m pretty aware.” Link said, remembering how difficult it was for the two of them to even become close in the first place. They had absolutely despised one another to the point that they beat the living shit out of each other on a bridge, almost to death, and somehow became friends and eventually lovers after that. Honestly, their current romantic relationship was nothing short of a miracle. 

Sighing, Sidon continued. “It completely broke his heart when Leuqas revealed his true intentions.”

“…So he’s just upset that he lost a friend?” Link asked, confused. “I mean, yeah, that sucks, but you wouldn’t think that it would hit Brivere that hard.”

“I’m afraid that it is much more complicated than that.” Sidon replied. “Leuqas had apparently said a lot of things to Brivere that had hurt him, even more so since it came from a previously trusted friend. And then the nobleman snuck into my room with the intention to kill me due to being part of a secret organization planning to overthrow the throne, and also out of jealousy. Brivere had predicted the assassination due to his ability, and I got involved in the fight against his wishes…” 

The prince’s voice dropped as his eyes shifted to the side, growing distant. “… and due to my recklessness, he ended up having to kill Leuqas. As a result, the secret organization the nobleman was part of was revealed, apparently calling themselves the Proper Order. Everyone involved was arrested, which is why there are so many new Zora here to replace them. My father ordered that all of the open positions be filled with only the most qualified Zora, regardless of class or bloodline, because apparently the Proper Order wanted to kill me due to my disregard for the class system that they unfairly benefited from. ”

Link’s jaw dropped as he gawked at his lover. After a few moments of silence, he finally snapped out of his initial shock. “Oh. Shit, that’s bad.”

A weak chuckle shook the prince’s large body. “Again, not the exact words I would use, but yes.”

“We have to talk to him now!” Link urged, eyes hardening. “He’s definitely holding back a lot of shit.”

Sidon weakly shook his head. “I tried to get him to speak to me after the assassination, but he has reverted back to his professional persona, even in private.”

Link knew what that meant. He wasn’t their lover, he was simply the Oracle Knight who had to work with them for the benefit of the Zora Domain. “All the more reason to get Brivere back, then.” the Hylian scowled, grabbing onto the prince’s arm and dragging him towards the golden knight’s room. The sight of a small Hylian dragging the large Zora Prince through the palace halls was amusing to everyone they came across, but neither of them found humor in the situation, quickly ducking into Brivere’s quarters. 

Unsurprisingly, Brivere let his golden eyes flicker up for a only second when his lovers suddenly came through the entranceway. “My lord. Hylian Champion.” he mumbled, bowing slightly as he focused back to his work. 

“Brivere.” Link said, his voice so unusually serious that it made the golden Zora look back up with tired eyes. “We aren’t going to force you to say what’s wrong. We’re just going to encourage you to talk about what is bothering you, so that we can help.”

The Oracle Knight paused before shaking his head. “Nothing is bothering me.”

“Oh bullshit!” Link spat, stepping towards the golden knight to continue before Sidon held out an arm to stop him. 

“I believe what Link is trying to say is that it is far too obvious that you are holding in your emotions again.” the prince said patiently, a sad smile appearing on his face. “Please, tell us about what you are feeling and allow us to help alleviate your suffering. You know that it isn’t healthy to just rely on yourself.”

Brivere hesitantly nodded, and drew in a long breath before coughing it back out. "I just... I thought I made a true friend. You know that I have difficulties getting others to like me, or I have trouble being comfortable enough to open up to others."

"Ain't that the truth." Link softly teased, making the golden Zora roughly elbow him. They both chuckled when Sidon rolled his eyes.

"So when Leuqas came around, I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed his company. And he was really nice too, and we comfortably talked for a little under two months. I never expected it all to be an act to try and bed me, however."

Brivere let out a shuddering sigh that deflated his tired body, sinking his face into his hands. “I guess I was just so oblivious to his flirtation that I just assumed his sudden kindness was only friendship."

"Not like that justifies his actions, but yeah, you are a little clueless to others’ emotions." Link said bluntly.

The prince scoffed. "Link! That is rude."

Both of them jumped when Brivere weakly chuckled. "It is not as if it isn't the truth, my lord." he said, a sad smile on his face. "I never picked up on his romantic intentions, or rather, anyone’s, because I have never been the target of anyone's desire, other than you two. But the way I became both of yours was unique to most people's experiences. And I assumed it was all simple friendship because I had never really had one before, so I didn't know what came with the territory."

His lovers nodded. It made sense, but it was also extremely disheartening. “Is that all that’s bothering you, Brivere?” Link softly asked. “Yeah, what he did was terrible, and it’s completely understandably that you are so impacted by his actions… but I have a feeling that there’s something more to it.”

His suspicions were confirmed when Brivere froze, a panicked look flashing in his eyes before they hardened. “No.” the golden Zora said through gritted teeth, staring the Hylian down. “I just need to get over the initial shock of all of the recent realizations I have had, which change everything about all I thought I knew for the past two months. That is all.”

Link opened his mouth, wanting to interrogate the golden knight, but stopped when Sidon put a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, the Hylian saw the large red Zora shaking his head, discouraging Link from pushing any further. Both of them sighed and turned to leave, but hesitantly stood in the entryway instead.

“Brivere,” Sidon softly said, looking over his shoulder to hold eye contact with the golden Zora. “Just know that you can come to us any time. We will always be there to support you.”

The Oracle Knight nodded. “Thank you, my lord, Hylian Champion.” he said, voice devoid of all emotion. Link and Sidon’s hearts dropped when he turned back to the countless stacks of reports on his desk, trying to distract himself by drowning in the endless sea of work. 

“Hey.” Link said firmly, continuing even when the Oracle Knight didn’t look up from his papers. “Whatever is happening… just know that we love you.”

After a moment of silence, Brivere hesitantly nodded. “I love both of you as well.”

And with that, Link and Sidon reluctantly left, leaving their shared lover to continue to silently suffer alone with the thoughts that mercilessly ripped apart the golden Zora that hid beneath the indifferent mask.  
;  
It took more than a month for Brivere to somewhat come out of the dark hole he had dug himself into.

Those few weeks felt like years to his lovers, who were extremely worried but couldn’t actually do much. Brivere had reverted back to the composed, closed off Zora that they both knew when they had first met him, years of trying to help the golden knight cope with the demons of his past seemingly disappearing from one event that he wouldn’t talk about. They both knew that if they pushed him to reveal what was wrong, it would just make him feel worse or bring back whatever terrible memories he was trying to comprehend. Whatever Brivere was dealing with he had to come to terms with on his own first, and only when he was comfortable enough to talk about it could they finally help him heal. 

However, that didn’t mean that Link and Sidon didn’t do anything to comfort him. Estuu joined in as well, not fully understanding why his older brother was upset but doing everything in his power to try and make Brivere feel better. They all constantly stayed around him, making sure he was surrounded by the few people he felt safe around, and always whispered words of praise and reassurance. When they quickly discovered that he clearly hated physical touch now, almost on the same level of Estuu, Sidon and Link backed off. Although it was strange that Brivere suddenly had an aversion to physical contact, despite constantly requesting it in the past, they respected this new trait. Even when it seemed like their efforts did nothing, they all continued to do everything in their power to help their beloved golden Zora.

Slowly, but surely, it really did help. 

Not to say that Brivere had quickly reverted back to his healthier self, of course. Link and Sidon were just relieved to see that the golden Zora would occasionally smile and laugh again, rather than not at all. Slowly easing out of his professional persona, Brivere would have pleasant, casual conversation, but noticeably didn’t talk as much as he used to. 

For whatever reason, he had gotten over his aversion to touch, but only if it was Link or Sidon making contact. It became a ritual to for all of them to cuddle in the prince’s bed at the end of the day. Innocent physical touch was clearly something that made Brivere content and brought out the happier side of him, so his lovers made sure to give him plenty. 

But that source of comfort is what quickly destroyed Link and Sidon’s assumptions of what had happened to their shared lover, for better or for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This was supposed to be the 6th chapter, and I originally didnt upload it for reasons i dont fucking know???  
> How the hell do you miss a whole fucking chapter???????????????  
> Shit no ones going to read this cause no one will know about this update lmao im so sorry


	7. From Here Until The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were many reasons that Brivere never spoke about what had happened until it was too obvious that the event had impacted him more than he had let on. And as he finally tells the truth to his lovers, Brivere is terrified that one of those reasons may make them leave him in the end.
> 
> (An ending AU of another fic i wrote called Trying To Tie Loose Ends, sorta like an alternate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ THE END NOTES FOR A POSSIBLE 8TH CHAPTER
> 
> AND PLEASE GO BACK AND READ CHAPTER 6 (From How It Used To Be) BECAUSE I FUCKED UP REAL BAD

After a long, tiring day for all three of them, Link, Brivere, and Sidon were in the prince’s quarters, laying down together on the waterbed like they usually did. No one knew who started it, but eventually they started horsing around and began play fighting; which, being some of the strongest warriors in the Zora Domain, meant that they somewhat took it seriously and were trying to assert dominance out of pride.

It was actually really fun. An unspoken rule was that you couldn’t get off of the water bed, so it just resulted in awkward wrestling that melted into hugs and laughter. Brivere was technically winning the whole thing, since he was larger than Link but smaller than Sidon, making it easy to pin the Hylian down or slip away from the prince.

Things immediately went downhill when Sidon decided that it was getting really late, so to end their pretend fight he rolled over when Brivere was straddling his midsection, forcing the golden Zora underneath him as the prince tightly held Brivere’s wrists against the bed.

Sidon was going to laugh and claim victory, but the humor was instantly caught in his throat when he saw Brivere’s eyes widen, looking at the prince as if he was someone completely different. The golden Zora suddenly screamed, thrashing against Sidon’s hold. The prince didn’t move, completely paralyzed in shock and confusion.

Link immediately sprang to action, ripping Sidon off of the hysterical knight. “Brivere! What’s wrong?!” the Hylian cried, trying to grab onto the golden Zora’s arm, only to be smacked away. Brivere tightly curled up into a golden ball, clutching at his head as strangled sobs ripped out of his throat.

“Please, don’t.” he gasped, clawing at the blankets to drag himself away from his lovers. “I’m sorry. Just… don’t.”

The sight of their shared lover breaking apart right in front of them nearly killed Link and Sidon from the intense heartache that came with it. Both of them gently sat on the bed, careful not to make physical contact with the knight, coming close enough for comfort but not enough to touch.

Brivere tightly shut his eyes, shaking his head as he tilted his head away from them. To their horror, tears flowed out of his eyes, his mouth contorting to keep back the scream muffled in his throat.

“What the hell happened, Brivere?” Link said in a trembling voice, trying to keep his composure. “Please, you need to tell us.”

Sidon wasn’t as good at holding back as his Hylian lover, tears already flowing down his face as he leaned over to try and get Brivere’s attention. “It’s clearly tearing you apart.” he whimpered. “We just want to help. I sincerely hope that you know that.”

Brivere nodded. “I know.” he said in a strangled voice, furiously wiping at the tears that wouldn’t stop flowing. “I love you both so much. And I know you want to help, and I appreciate it so dearly that it hurts.”

Suddenly sitting up, the golden knight was trying to control his shaking body, face twitching and contorting to keep himself from crying any further. “But this is my own issue. What happened was my fault.” he said in an unnaturally steady voice.

“Dammit Brivere!”

Sidon and Brivere jumped, gawking at their Hylian lover, who had angry tears threatening to spill out of his furious blue eyes. Crawling over to the golden knight, Link harshly jabbed a finger into Brivere’s chest. “Listen.” he spat. “Whatever the hell happened was most likely _not_ your fault."

Brivere scowled. “You do not know that!”

“Yeah, because you won’t fucking say anything about it!” Link harshly shot back, icy blue eyes narrowing. "However, _I_ know you. _Sidon_ knows you. We both have so much confidence in your ability to always do the right thing."

Sighing, the frustration inside of the Hylian drained away to melt into exhaustion and Link leaned into Brivere's chest, who didn't flinch or back away. "Look." he said in a small voice. "I know what it's like to be your own worst enemy. If you're like me, and I _know_ you are, then you are blaming yourself for not being strong enough, running every possibility through your head, thinking about all the things you _could_ or _should_ have done but _didn’t_."

The Hylian sat back, allowing Brivere to see his own pain reflected in Link's intense blue eyes. "So if you have no choice but to fight against the worst parts of yourself, then allow Sidon and I to be your allies, to show you how strong you truly are."

Brivere gulped. After a moment of silence, he spoke up. "Other than Estuu... all I have is you two.” he said slowly, carefully shaping each foreign word with a hesitant tongue, unused to sharing such insecurities. “I have lost everyone else who had loved me, and those numbers were small to begin with. And… I am terrified that if you learn the truth, then I may lose you as well."

Shaking his head, Sidon leaned in, bumping his crest against Brivere's, lightly nuzzling them together. "My sun," he said in a low voice, "In the past, you have said that you only become intimate with those you completely trust. So please place some of that faith in the fact that nothing in the world could ever make Link and I leave you.”

The prince felt Brivere gently nod against his crest, the golden Zora slowly pulling back to fidget with his hands in his lap. Several times his mouth slightly opened and closed, like a fish out of water, an intense debate clearly fighting the options out inside of his mind. Brivere's eyes darted between his two lovers, his golden gaze never lingering for too long on either of them, trying not to make direct eye contact. Patiently, Link and Sidon sat back, giving him soft smiles of reassurance, silently bracing themselves in anticipation of what would come out of their lover's mouth.

Finally, Brivere spoke up. "I just... Leuqas, he... It happened at the gazebo, he invited me there, I should have...." the golden knight softly mumbled. A frustrated growl rumbled in his throat as he angrily shook his head, letting out a short, exasperated sigh.

"Nobleman Leuqas sexually assaulted me."

Link and Sidon's bodies went numb as they tried to comprehend what they had just heard, forcing all of them to sit in tense silence. They only snapped out of their shock when Brivere noticeably began to panic at how quiet his lovers became, his golden frame trembling in terror as his watery eyes widened, believing his worst fears were coming to life right in front of him. Both of them immediately lunged forward to embrace him, but quickly froze in place, unsure if they could touch him after what had happened.

However, Brivere caught on to their hesitation and grabbed both of their arms, pulling them close as all three of them collapsed onto the bed, the golden knight sandwiched in-between his lovers. "Its fine." he whispered in a barely audible voice. "It is only fine if it is you two."

Brivere's chest was pressed against Sidon's, who wrapped a protective leg over Brivere's and nestled the golden knight's neck into the crook of his elbow, wanting to shelter his lover from the world and the thoughts tearing him apart. Link's body was pushed up against the golden Zora's back, becoming a strong, sturdy shield that promised to never leave, to always protect him. Wrapping his arms around Brivere's midsection, the Hylian rested his head against the knight's muscular back, rising with the beat of the ragged breaths that shook the golden Zora's body.

The three of them laid there in comfortable silence, Brivere trying to gain the courage to continue, his lovers silently encouraging him as they sheltered him from the world outside. Now all they had to do was protect him from the thoughts that were quietly killing their shared lover from the inside.

"As you know, the nobleman had been flirting with me for a little under two months, ever since our first meeting at my knighting ceremony, and I was none the wiser." Brivere began, his heart feeling lighter as he felt his lovers gently nod against his body. He didn't know exactly why he couldn't bring himself to actually Leuqas' name. Was it just because he didn't want to give his former friend the acknowledgement he didn't deserve, or did Leuqas still have influence over him, even in death?

Whatever the reason, the truth began to spill out, weeks of repressed memories and emotions forced to be exposed in the open air. "Apparently he had joined the Proper Order because his father was in charge, and used their resources and connections to get closer to me."

"Well that explains why we kept getting called away by random government officials for no good reason." Link chuckled, and Brivere elbowed him in the face, making both of them softly laugh when Sidon jokingly glared at the Hylian.

"He just went to such lengths to get close to me, and I suppose I was just oblivious to it all." Brivere continued in a small voice. "I should have realized it sooner. I could have stopped the whole thing earlier on."

He felt both of his lovers shake their heads. "My sun," Sidon murmured into the side of the golden Zora's face, softly placing a kiss on his skin. "There is _nothing_ that excuses his heinous actions. Even if you didn't know, even if you knew, what he did is completely inexcusable."

"If he wasn't dead I'd beat the shit out of him and then kill him." Link said, clearly meaning for it to be a joke, but there wasn’t any trace of humor in his breath. "Hylia owes me so many favors anyways, so I'll use all of them to keep bringing him back to life so I can do it over and over again."

Firmly nodding in agreement, Sidon tightened his hold on the golden knight, as if to protect the other Zora from an unseen threat. Brivere weakly chuckled, knowing that both of his lovers were probably being completely serious. "It is alright. The support you two have given me is more than I could ever ask for."

He felt Link's smile press into his back, his lips moving against the golden knight's scales as he spoke. "And then what happened? Only if you're comfortable, of course."

Brivere hummed. "It happened the week you were all gone. He invited me out to the gazebo, and it happened there. I never caught onto what was happening until it was too late." he said, absentmindedly tracing the muscles that shaped his lovers' skin. The golden knight considered going into more detail, to relay the vicious words that Leuqas had spoken to him, to recall every disgusting action of the violation, but he couldn't bring himself to actually do it. He was already exhausted from the little information he actually _did_ reveal to his lovers.

Stiffening, Sidon shifted to stare Brivere in the eyes. "A week ago?" he weakly asked, his low voice cracking. "I... I was here, at the palace the whole time."

"I know." The golden knight said quietly, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Sidon sadly shook his head and pulled Brivere even closer, which the golden knight didn't even think was possible, considering how close they already were. "No, you are not the one to apologize, my sun. I am." the prince whimpered, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "I am so sorry, Brivere. I should have realized that-!”

“Sidon." Brivere said firmly. Both of his lover's stiffened in shock, unused to hearing the golden Zora say the prince's name without his formal title. "If you insist that I cannot blame myself for what has happened, then the sentiment must extend to you as well."

The prince hesitantly nodded, and Brivere's eyes softened. "It is alright. I didn't tell you, or anyone for that matter."

"And why didn't you?" Link murmured, tracing the scales on Brivere's stomach, grounding him in reality instead of getting swept away to be drowned in his thoughts like he had been this past month.

Brivere hesitated. He knew exactly why, yet at the same time, he had no idea what had convinced him that it was completely logical to not say anything up until this point. It was a mix of a million different reasons, all of them seemingly irrational or insignificant on their own, but they all piled up into an overwhelming, dark cloud that took over Brivere's mind, constantly whispering thoughts of doubt and fear in a voice that kept changing to an unforgiving tune. Sometimes it was Leuqas, screaming from the gazebo as Brivere ran away, or it was his own, a murmur so low yet so loud that it drowned out every last bit of sense within him. But oddly enough, it wasn’t just him and his attacker; it was everyone's, ranging from his lovers to people that Brivere barely knew, all of them repeating the same excuses that he had convinced himself to hold as the truth, over and over again, making him fear the day that it would stop being just a voice in his head and become reality.

But he couldn't just stay paralyzed in terror forever. The only way to dispel his worries was to actually say something, at best being reassured and relieving him of his doubts, at worst confirming his worst insecurities and further his own torment.

Ignoring the voice in his head that told him that his lovers would be the latter, Brivere quietly spoke up. "There were... too many reasons. I know they are irrational, I know I should have said something sooner, but I just couldn't." he said slowly, Link and Sidon completely silent, nodding for him to continue.

"For one, people are not fond of me. It is a fact. Leuqas was so well liked and respected, so high up in society sitting in an untouchable status, that I knew that if I told anyone then they would doubt me." Brivere let out a helpless laugh. "My whole life has just been the results of people doubting me. I did not want to add more to my own mockery."

He felt Sidon's soft breath tickle his face as the prince softly spoke up. "Brivere, many people do respect you, and even if they didn't, it's such a serious accusation that everyone would have been suspicious and looked into it. I certainly would have believed you, as well as Estuu, and Betaal, and so many others you know, that we would have supported you through it all to give you the justice you deserve."

The golden knight's heart felt lighter at this. He completely expected Sidon to say something like that, but the words still blew his mind, the voice in his head shocked into becoming quieter.

But that didn't mean that it disappeared completely. "I considered that, yes, but I was also worried about what would happen if people actually believed me."

Sidon pulled back, staring at Brivere with a confused look in his eyes. "My sun, isn't that what you want?"

The golden Zora bit his lip. He knew it seemed contradictory, but that was what made it so difficult to speak up in the first place. "I was concerned over what people would say about my own actions." he said slowly, carefully shaping each word with a hesitant tongue, trying to explain the irrational thoughts raging inside of him. "Like how I didn't sense his intentions sooner. Apparently everyone in the castle knew about it except for me."

Cringing, Link nodded. "I'm sorry about that, Brivere. We knew about it too." he said, silently beating himself up. Just because they can't blame themselves for the disgusting nobleman's horrendous actions didn't mean that he couldn't get mad at himself anyways. "We just didn't say anything to you because we thought you knew, and were just intentionally ignoring it. But we completely trusted you not to do anything with him."

That made the golden Zora feel a little better. He had been wondering why his lovers didn't say anything, but he couldn't blame them. It was his own fault that he had been so oblivious. "It is alright, since that was not the only reason. I was afraid that people would say that I wasn't strong enough, that they would doubt my capability as Prince Sidon's personal knight." He hesitated, unsure if he should elaborate. "I even had my sword on me when it happened. I have fought countless battles and enemies, and worked my way up to one of the highest positions in the Zora military. Yet I cannot even take on a simple nobleman, who had never even been in the army no less?"

He let out a pathetic laugh. "I would be considered a complete joke. It is my fault that it had happened. I should have been able to defend myself and prevent it."

Link's arms tightened around his waist, forcing him to feel the Hylian tremble against his back. He couldn't tell if it was out of anger or helpless pity. "No." Link growled, pressing himself closer into the golden Zora's scales. "For Hylian's sake, I defeated the fucking _Calamity_ yet you can still beat my ass when we spar. You are so fucking strong. If anyone said otherwise, you could easily beat the shit out of them and prove them wrong. And if you didn't, _we_ would."

"I think what Link is trying to say is that you are definitely one of the Domain's best fighters." the prince softly chuckled. "But that still does not mean that you are at fault. Leuqas should have never done such an atrocious thing in the first place. It is his actions that must be judged, not yours."

Link nodded, nuzzling his head into Brivere's muscular back. "And I've seen Leuqas. He’s nearly as large as Sidon, for fucks sake. If that asshole caught you by surprise, and he obviously did, then he could have easily restrained you. Hell, he probably could've overtaken King Dorephan if he wanted to." the Hylian spat and they all quietly laughed, cringing at the thought of it. "And not just physically, but you were also mentally trapped too. Fear in the heat of the moment, fear of the consequences, it's all clear from how you didn't speak about it until now. But you have to accept that it was all Leuqas' fault. You could've intentionally teased him to kingdom come or you could've accidentally mislead him into thinking you were into him, but in the end, you said no. And no matter what your actions were, the blame is on him for not respecting your wishes and forcing himself on you without your consent."

Sighing, Brivere sank deeper into the sheets, wanting to escape the conversation but knowing that it was best for him to hear what he needed to, no matter how uncomfortable it was. As much as he knew it was true, the concept of it all falling onto Leuqas' selfishness was difficult to grasp.

But he decided to place his trust into his lovers to tell him the truth, to force him to see reality when all he wanted to do was close his eyes and never open them again.

The three of them lay there in silence, save for the occasional soft sigh or shift of the sheets, innocently tangled up in each other's grasp. Brivere knew that he didn't have to say more, that he had already said enough, the voice in his head forced to become soft enough to be bearable. And he knew that his lovers wouldn't push for more, knowing that he had to say it on his own terms, but the way that they silently continued to hold him so protectively told him that they were encouraging him to do or say whatever he needed to feel better.

And he could have been satisfied with the reassurances he had already heard from Link and Sidon. But there was one last thing that was tearing at his heart, desperate to hear more, to dispel the fears of losing their love for good.

Brivere let out a long, deep sigh, closing his eyes as he braced himself for whatever their reaction would be. He felt like a sinner that was forced to repent at his beloved god's altar, begging for forgiveness, begging to be at their mercy for the sake of keeping their love and presence. "There is something I must also say. But it is something only for you two." he whispered, as if afraid that someone else was in the room, his voice so quiet that it wouldn't have even been audible if Link and Sidon weren't pressed up against him.

He felt them nod, and he continued. "When it happened... I desperately used my abilities to see the outcomes of the assault, to figure out the best way to escape." Brivere said slowly, already wanting to take it all back and forget that he had even said anything. But the words wouldn't stop, spilling out of him like a glass of water that had fallen over, shattering before making a mess of everything. "I found that if I fight back hard enough, he would grow desperate and grab my sword, then kill me with it before fleeing. The only way out..."

Gulping, Brivere slightly eased himself out of his lovers' grasp, feeling guilty and undeserving of their supportive embrace. "I had to play along. I had to moan, and beg for him, just to encourage his genitals to emerge from his slit so I could kick them hard enough to get him off of me."

To his surprise, Link burst out laughing, his whole body shaking against Brivere's back from his breathy giggles. "Oh goddesses, that asshole fucking deserved it.”

Brivere was frozen in shock when Sidon chuckled, nodding in agreement. “You…you both are not mad…?” the golden knight whimpered, completely blindsided by their response. Link and Sidon stopped laughing and pulled apart from him, shifting so that both of them could stare at his eyes, which were beginning to uncontrollably water. His body trembled from the effort to not start sobbing like helpless child.

“Brivere…” Sidon whispered, his voice cracking from the heartache of realization.

Link continued for him. “Were you actually afraid that we would be mad at you?”

“Because we never would be.” Sidon said firmly. “What you did was purely self-defense. Link and I do not feel ‘betrayed’ in the slightest, for we know your heart only belongs to us.”

Both of them smiled down at him. “We love you, Brivere.” Link finished. “Nothing is ever going to change all three of us staying together from here until the end.”

That broke the golden knight.

A wretched cry ripped itself out of his throat, clawing its way into the open air after being imprisoned in his chest for too long. Weeks of repressed tears began spilling out of his eyes, which tightly shut in a fruitless effort to stop the endless flood. The golden Zora’s frame began to tremble and wildly twitch, shaking from the sobs and cries that racked his body, every emotion he had been holding back suddenly making him burst at the seams, threatening to overwhelm him in its intensity.

The only thing that kept him from completely losing himself were his lovers, who laid back down next to him, holding onto him and anchoring the golden Zora into reality. Link and Sidon laid in silence to allow Brivere to cry and scream in their embrace, letting the suppressed emotions come out uninterrupted.

None of them knew how long it took for Brivere to calm down, but it didn’t matter. Link and Sidon patiently waited as his intense sobs slowly melted into hiccups and gasps for air, both of them whispering words of reassurance and encouragement as the golden knight began to quiet down out of exhaustion. Eventually, the three of them laid in silence for a long time, the only thing interrupting the quiet lull being an occasional hitched breath or sniffle from Brivere.

“I am sorry.” the golden knight croaked after a few moments. He felt Link and Sidon shake their heads, but he continued anyways, guilt burning him alive. “You two have had to put up with so much from me.”

“Brivere.” Sidon said firmly. “We will do anything to support each other. It is _never_ a bother.”

Link laughed and lightly punched the golden Zora in the arm. “It’s called being in a relationship, asshole.”

Brivere’s mouth slightly opened, wanting to apologize again, but instead he sighed and sank deeper into his lovers’ embrace. “…Thank you. Both of you.” he murmured before his heavy eyes fully shut, letting him fall asleep in the safest place on Hyrule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> I'm fine with how Infatuation ends here, but i was considering another chapter where Link and Sidon suggest the three of them coming clean about their poly relationship, for multiple reasons, not just Leuqas (he's just a wake up call).  
> However, I know how it would go, and I'm cool leaving it all like this. But if someone, even one person, even if its like 5 years from now, comments and asks for this extra chapter, I'll gladly write it. So just lemme know if you're interested  
> ;  
> UPDATE:  
> I'll be making a separate series about this, titled Too Taboo To Be True. I know i said a chapter but i had too many ideas, and the concept of them coming out as a poly relationship is so complicated that there is no way it can be summed up in one chapter. But im excited to do it! So many ideas i got yesiree

**Author's Note:**

> So.  
> I don't know why i made this.  
> It started off with the headcannon for Brivere that i liked, where he is completely oblivious to people flirting with him.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> No one is going to read this.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> But sometimes you just need to let yourself make shit for no one but yourself.


End file.
